Série "slice-of-life" and "old FL / Young ML" but with Xiao Zhan (＾◡＾)❤❤
The series follows the daily life (work, family, friends, events), in a subtle and quite realistic way, of our two heroes. One (FL) is an established advertising director who must deal with divorce and its consequences. The ML is a young designer, admirer of the FL, who is trying to make a career and have his talent recognized.They form bonds, fall in love, and must face obstacles, linked in particular to their age gap of 10 years.
PROS:
+ Xiao Zhan ♡ლ(-༗‿༗-)ლ♡ of course, handsome, moving, so talented that he IS his character!!
+ I really like the character of the FL, mature, decisive, vulnerable but who faces all hardships the life give her. [[I divorced after a long marriage, and the story is very well written, enough for me to recognize myself in this character]].
+ The 2ary characters are well developed. Everyone has their own temperament, their history, their goals, their dreams.
+ The life of urban employees is well described, in subtle details: working conditions, pressure from customers, transport, shopping, meals, meetings, etc.
+ The narration is fast, modern and the OSTs are well suited to the emotions.
CONS:
- I regret that the SMS are not translated, because they have an importance in the story.
- the character of Sheng Fan's mother is excessive, poorly constructed psychologically: overprotective (OK, it's partly the result of the one-child policy), 50 years old but with the soul of a little girl, opposes the his son's relationship for ridiculous reasons, etc. No Western child would put up with being under the thumb of their parents at 26 like this...
- unlike other reviewers, I cannot perceive the charisma of Professor Fang's character, narrow, rigid, full of quirks and OCD.
=> It's a beautiful, comforting series, about perseverance, family, human's connections...
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Série """slice-of-life" et "old FL / Young ML" mais avec Xiao Zhan ( ＾◡＾)❤❤
La série suit la vie quotidienne (travail, famille, amis, évènements), de façon subtile et assez réaliste, de nos 2 héros. L'une (la FL) est une réalisatrice de pub, confirmée, qui doit faire face au divorce et à ses conséquences. Le ML est un jeune designer, admirateur de la FL, qui essaie de faire carrière et faire reconnaitre son talent.
Ils tissent des liens, tombent amoureux, et doivent affronter les obstacles, liés notamment à leur age gap de 10 ans.
PROS:
+ Xiao Zhan ( ＾◡＾)❤❤ bien sûr, beau, émouvant, tellement talentueux qu'il EST son personnage !!
+ J'aime le personnage de la FL, mature, décisive, vulnérable mais qui fait face. [[j'ai divorcé après un long mariage, et l'histoire est très bien écrite, assez pour que je me reconnaisse dans ce personnage]].
+ Les personnages 2aires sont bien développés. Chacun a son tempérament, son histoire, ses objectifs, ses rêves.
+ La vie des salariés citadins est bien décrite, en détails subtiles : les conditions de travail, la pression des clients, les transports, les courses, les repas, les rencontres,...
+ La narration est rapide, actuelle et les OST sont bien adaptés aux émotions à transmettre.
CONS:
- je regrette que les SMS ne soient pas traduits, car ils ont une importance dans l'histoire.
- le personnage de la mère de Sheng Fan est excessif, mal construit psychologiquement : surprotectrice (OK, c'est en partie le résultat de la politique de l'enfant unique), 50 ans mais une âme de midinette, s'oppose à la relation de son fils pour des raisons ridicules, etc. Aucun enfant occidental ne supporterait d'être sous la coupe de ses parents à 26 ans de cette façon ...
- contrairement à d'autres reviewers, je n'arrive pas à percevoir le charisme du personnage du professeur Fang, étriqué, rigoureux, plein de manies et de TOC.
=> C'est une belle série, réconfortante, sur la persévérance, la famille, les liens...
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A mature, fluffy "romance" that could have been much better
I must start this review by saying that I watched this solely for Xiao Zhan, and was not particularly impressed with the trope-heavy first episode. Nonetheless, the show did get better till I considered an 8.5 for this show, only to be a bit disappointed with the last episode.There were certainly many positives. Although the show appears to be a romance it is more a navigating-through-life drama. There are many lessons to be learned, particularly for the young but mature Sheng Yang who has to learn to manoeuvre through his career aspirations, love, and his parents' expectations of and from him. The scenes at work were really well-written and well-done, and all the circumstances and the outcomes made perfect sense. It was during work that the friendship between Sheng Yang, Song Chen and Pan Rou evolved and the interactions between these three made for some of the best moments on the show.
Although falling in love is easier, working with it is the hardest. Jian Bing (Bai Bai He was great in the role) knows this perfectly well, so her reactions and her hesitance are fully comprehensible. Despite the utterly out-of-character Jian Bing in the beginning episodes, what we get is a mature, introverted, solemn and measured Jian Bing whose wisdom and age show in her actions. Her mentoring of Sheng Yang made for some of the best moments on the show- she rubs off on him in all the best of ways, through her words and actions. Jian Bing is a role model, someone to aspire to and such female mentoring is truly wonderful to watch. We should befriend and fall for those who make us better versions of ourselves, and that is perhaps one of the best takeaways from the show.
I looked forward to these interactions- between Sheng Yang and Jian Bing, between Sheng Yang and his parents (his parents were such beautifully-written characters!), Sheng Yang and his friends, but unfortunately, for some strange reason, the show makers decided to spent a large amount of time on the ice hockey trio- characters that emerged out of a need to showcase this game, and from the game multiple unnecessary interactions emerged. Sadly, I forwarded many of the scenes involving these characters, and was thoroughly disappointed when a large proportion of the last episode was devoted to these characters. By doing so, necessary screen time for the main characters was unduly snatched.
The acting was fantastic throughout- I enjoyed most of the characters (except the hockey trio, although I cannot blame their performances). I really enjoyed Wang Lin and Yang Hao Yu's performance and their characters- they had excellent chemistry with each other and with Xiao Zhan. I've seen Liu Xun and Julia Xiang in other roles and they were great here. Tian Yu's Xue Yi Ming may have been annoying at times, but I am glad that he did have Jian Bing's back and their unaffected friendship was touching. Liang Shan Shan (Zhu Zhu) was an interesting character, and again, her (and Xue Yi Ming's) devotion towards Jian Bing was one of the show's highlights.
The last episode was underwhelming; too much time was devoted to secondary characters and the last few minutes did not seem consistent with the main characters' personalities.
Nonetheless, this is a good watch overall.
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Slow paced, realistic story about life with a bit of love
First of all: I find the synopsis to be somewhat inaccurate /giving a kind of different expectation (the one on Viki too).This isn’t the drama if you want passionate love, big tension between characters, overly dramatic events or lots of plot twists. It is rather the drama for those who like a more realistic portrayal of life and interactions between people. Don’t get me wrong, the story does contain elements to drive it forward and create some ebb and flow. It is just done in a way that is realistic and easier to imagine and recognise one self in. Love is a main theme throughout, but it is rather the paths of love, and the different stages of it, that is in focus. Without spoiling too much: Don’t expect lots of scenes with passion and PDA.
The story also touches upon some cultural and societal norms and issues, like (of course) the opposite age gap, careers, divorce, and sexism. It is done in a very natural way, and not “preachy” one way or the other, more like showing it from the characters’ point of view, so we the viewers get the different perspectives and might understand better.
The supporting characters of course have their own storylines, but they don’t get too dominating.
The casting is good in my opinion, and pretty much all the actors do a good job.
In some aspects, the vibe and mood is a bit similar to “The tale of Rose”.
I’m not sure I will watch this again, but I’m pretty sure this has left me with an impression strong enough for me to remember it also in a couple of months. So, it is a series I would recommend if you are looking for a “real life like drama”.
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Simple and realistic drama yet emotionally engaging
Story:The plot is simply slice of life and slow burn romance, around the ups and downs of advertising worker, with addition of their family relationship. Instead, it is the main interest, the realistic side of the story. Made me feel extremely connected and can't stop binge watched it.
Acting:
Gosh, I can't say a lot but imho, every actor give a top notch performance. Can't count how many times I laughed and sobbed when watching those 36 episodes. I have never thought that this drama can be tremendously emotional despite the non melodramatic story. The only negative side of this drama is Jian Bing's sister side story, it felt bland.
Overall:
Not recommended if you want to watch a passionate and sweet romantic drama. But if you like coming of age, light hearted story and spiritual lifting romance, you must watch this. And feel Sheng Yang hangover after that :)
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Xiao Zhan very telanted
first of all i just want to say thank you to the whole crew who made this work come to life.this drama is healing as it brings joy to one's life and all the actors made their characters come to life, and especially Xiao zhan. while watching Sunshine by myside i feel like i am watching xz's daily life, before he had joined the entertainment industry, interpreting himself and he NAILED IT. he is a hardworking young man who is trying to achieve great things by working very hard. ❤
So far, i just mobe everything about this series and cant wait for the rest of the episodes
Young designer Sheng Yang (Xiao Zhan) meets his longtime idol award-winning director Jian Bing (Bai Baihe). Despite a 10 year age difference he has a strong affection for her and she’s drawn to him as well. He tries to be a little ray of sunshine to brighten her life.
Filmed in the city of Chongking this workplace drama has a movie feel to it. The way it’s shot, the attention to detail, and the great city scapes make for a very artistic urban atmosphere.
In addition to the slice of life story surrounding Sheng Yang and Jian Bing, the drama depicts struggles faced in different generations and stations in life, broaching hot-button issues such as sexism, ageism and bullying.
The acting is natural and on point - cast and crew included seasoned professionals along with fresh faces.
Xiao Zhan is an impressive actor with great range. He has three dramas of different genres in 2023 with three very different characters. The loyal persistent social cow Xiao Chun Sheng, the cool reserved high priest Shi Ying, and now the joyful and warm puppy Sheng Yang. Sheng Yang is so real that after just a few episodes I feel like I know him.
Sunshine By My Side is an interesting and entertaining watch so far. I’m looking forward to seeing how the story unfolds!
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This review may contain spoilers
Like a sampler... just a foot in the water is fine
I don't have too much to say as I ultimately dropped this drama since the pacing was a little slow/I didn't really care for the story. Nevertheless, I do understand its merit and think that there is a population that will enjoy this drama. If you care for mature, realistic, slow-burn romances, this one is probably for you. If you care for great acting, this is for you too.I came mostly to just talk about the acting a little. It's fantastic for what it's worth. Xiao Zhan has improved tremendously since I last saw him (I've seen him in, 'The Untamed' and 'The Oath of Love') . His acting has become more and more natural, and it's a pleasure to watch a promising young actor like him. Nothing seems forced, everything seems done right to where it needs to be... it's really wonderful because there's a vitality and spring to it that's difficult to see elsewhere. Just to watch his acting, I'd take a brief look into this show. Bai Baihe was really the star- it's the first time I've seen her, and she's tremendous. Natural, organic, and inspired in her acting, she's definitely the best female lead I've ever seen I daresay. Though she didn't have dramatic scenes, I don't think she needed them for the acting to work; simply micro expressions and her eyes would do.
The acting is really the thing that made me come here : ) Just take a look and you'd see it too. As for whether you like it or not, I think it's rather subjective.
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This review may contain spoilers
No Sunshine in Sight
What a boring disappointment! After 25 episodes of waiting for the story to evolve and get to some point, I gave up. There was so much potential with this drama, but it fizzled almost at the start. The story was draggy and uninteresting, even with the various characters who also had potentially good story arcs.I actually liked the chemistry between the ex-husband and the best friend. They were really meant to be together from the beginning - and so, as annoying as he was, hanging on to the FL, I'm glad they ended up together. Loved the second couple and even the third couple (hockey kids). These three couples contributed all the romance there was to this drama. Up to the 25th episode there was NOTHING between the lead couple, so I couldn't even comment on whether there was chemistry between them or not.
I loved the ML's parents, although their shouting and screaming was very unattractive - but they were refreshing in other ways considering the trope of nosy, overbearing parents who want to run their children's lives in these Chinese dramas.
This was (believe it or not) my first Xiao Zhan drama. He's easy on the eyes, and he was pretty believable and sincere with this character - but there was just no sizzle to keep me interested. I've seen the FL in other dramas, but I was definitely underwhelmed with this one.
36 episodes of a boring, draggy story was too long. TOO LONG! Writers, this was a definite failure even with the valiant efforts by the ensemble of actors. Absolutely no way I'd rewatch this, or recommend it to anyone else - let alone give it a high rating.
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Ya'll don't like anything on this website
Everything is rated so low on this site. This is a very, very good show and I hope people will give it a chance despite the low MDL rating. The show is a well-written and acted slow burn with realistic characters & challenges and really good chemistry between not only the main pairing, but the side pairings as well. The music is good throughout, the pacing of the story is really good, and it brings me the perfect kind of peaceful joy when I watch it.Please give the show a chance and rate it when you do!
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"Sunshine by My Side" is more than just a drama, it's an epitome of the struggles, aspirations, and romance that we encounter in our daily lives. It has successfully found its way into my daily routine, perfect for unwinding after a long day at work. Whether you're new to the corporate world or a seasoned professional, this drama has something for everyone, making it a must-watch this season.
Both main role played excellent job here.
I like to rewatch this drama again and again.
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Touching story, Bai Bai he acting was very good.
I started liking Bai bai he after watching 36 episodes. Zhu Zhu(Liang Shan) determination to get the true love is very impressive, and his parents performance, especially his father's acting is extraordinary. I can't move my eyes away from every scenes. thanks to the team who has participated to produce the touching drama. Also thanks to the English Subtitle. (but one humble request: Please add English subtitle for the text messages too)Was this review helpful to you?
A waste of time, unfortunately
One word: boring. I can’t even call this series predictable because i definitely couldn’t predict/expect it to be so boring. No character development. Superficial relationships with plots that make no sense. I have no complaints about the actors. But their characters were so badly written and and the whole story was so uninteresting that even they couldn’t do a better job even if they tried to. I am a huge fan of Xiao zhan and love him as an actor but even his character was so bland and boring, I just have no words. I didnt even realize how I finished watching the whole thing because the story felt so unfinished, I mean literally nothing happened throughout the series so probably that’s why I was expecting some plot twists towards the end at least. What can I say, if you live any of the actors playing in this drama and have literally nothing better to do with your time you can watch it, I guess. 🫠Was this review helpful to you?
great drama
A wonderful series in which Xiao Zhan, as always, played a wonderful role, but the role here emanated a lot of love, enthusiasm, energy, youth and is competitive despite the difficulties and the small chances of succeeding in both his romantic and professional life. I also liked his partner in the series who complemented him perfectly and played a special role.Was this review helpful to you?
