Wishing upon the Shooting Stars

Wishing Upon the Shooting Stars merece muito mais atenção

Depois de ser demitido, o tímido Xiang Yong volta para sua cidade natal que fica localizada em uma ilha, onde reencontra seu amigo de longa data Wan Zhe, as pessoas que o viram crescer e acham que ele é um homem de sucesso assim como seu pai também acha, e que inclusive não sabe da sua demissão e que esse é o motivo de seu retorno a pousada do pai, já que nunca consegue ter uma conversa com ele sem que discutam. Algo acontece e leva Xiang Yong e Wan Zhe para a falésia numa noite repleta de estrelas cadentes onde o desejo mais íntimo acaba se tornando realidade para os dois e eles precisam lidar com as consequências boas (o reencontro com um amor do passado e um novo amor) e ruins (o preço de um desejo) de suas escolhas.

O BL conseguiu entregar uma história sensível e bonita tanto dos protagonistas quanto do casal secundário. Conforme vamos tomando conhecimento do passado do Xiang Yong e do Hao Wei é perceptível o despertar dos sentimentos de ambos os personagens e como palavras não ditas e sentimentos não revelados levaram a ruptura que os fizeram se afastar por anos.

E pode parecer um BL pequeno, de baixa renda, pode até ter sido eu realmente não sei, mas o trabalho que eles fizeram aqui é de impressionar, é muito bonito o local onde escolheram filmar, as cenas que mostram mais a ilha para nós a gente tem uma noção maior da dimensão do lugar e das belezas nele e o final desse bl explora muito isso e é uma sequência marcante e bonita, Taiwan conseguiu nos entregar um bom bl.

Obs: As cenas NC desse bl são impressionantes seja pela duração de 3 minutos ininterruptos ou também pela forma como os atores se entregaram ao que estavam fazendo (nada pornográfico, com o jogo de luzes e a trilha que colocaram é uma coisa que fica poética, mas bonita até) já que uma coisa que eu gosto muito nos bls além da química entre os atores é o beijo, quando o beijo consegue entregar aquela sensação verdadeira de um beijo já me ganha.

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Un aire fresco en el BL

Nunca había hecho una review pero vengo a hacerlo por primera vez porque siento que la serie se lo merece, la descubrí por un anuncio de Instagram y me interesó, tiempo después vi que había finalizado y me vi los capítulos en 2 días.

La escenografía y cinematografía son un elemento crucial en la serie, siento que es uno de los mejores apartados que tiene la producción, el ver la serie te transporta a vivir en la pequeña isla donde sucede todo, la paleta de colores claros y pasteles que maneja la serie aporta ese sentimiento de nostalgia y calidez que te transmite paz, hasta cuando no están en la pequeña isla se nota que cuidaron muy bien el aspecto del color, pero la dirección de fotografía no se queda atrás, siendo yo no tan experto en el tema, me parece asombroso lo tan pensado que están los planos y tomas, un ejemplo brillante de la narrativa visual que maneja esta serie es el uso de las escenas paralelas en el tendedero de ropa: al inicio, los protagonistas Xiang Yong y Hao Wei, están de espaldas separados por esta estructura reflejando así el distanciamiento inicial, mas adelante, se repite en el mismo lugar separados por el tendedero pero de frente, denotando un avance o apertura en los personajes. En general, todo lo que incluye este apartado esta muy bonito.

Las actuaciones son muy buenas, desde Aomi actuando de forma incomoda por la intensidad del deseo pedido por Wan Zhe, hasta las versiones de los protas de pequeños, todos mantienen un buen nivel de actuación que hace mas inmersiva la experiencia, la quimica que tienen Xiang Yong y Hao Wei es espectacular, se nota que son pareja ademas de muy buenos actores, todo te da ganas de quedarte unos cuantos dias en la pequeña y acogedora isla donde se desenvuelve la historia.

La musica, no es algo en lo que me haya fijado mucho siendo la primera vez que lo veo, en general acompaña bien a las escenas aunque hay ciertas veces en donde sentia que no encajaba mucho con lo que estaba sucediendo.

Ahora la historia, la serie brilla por su ritmo pausado, y me pareció un gran acierto que la primera mitad utilizara una estructura en paralelo, revelando el trasfondo de la pareja principal a través de flashbacks que completaban el rompecabezas de su pasado. Sin embargo, no me convenció que la ruptura original se debiera al típico cliché de una tercera persona metiendo cizaña; un malentendido bastante infantil por un comentario inmaduro de Hao Wei que llevó a Xiang Yong a romper un dibujo de cumpleaños. Aunque el detalle posterior de Hao Wei devolviendo ese mismo dibujo reconstruido fue un gesto precioso, la interferencia se sintió forzada.

Por mantener ese paso lento, el final se sintió sumamente apresurado y dejó demasiadas subtramas importantes de lado. Me habría gustado que exploraran más el lore místico (por qué Xixi tiene poderes y sabe que Hong es mágico, o quiénes son los dioses del final). También faltó un reencuentro real e íntimo entre padre e hijo, ya que todo su avance ocurrió bajo la identidad de Xiao You y no de Xiang Yong. Finalmente, quedaron en el aire temas humanos de mucho peso, como el origen de la enorme deuda de Xiang Yong o los detalles de la mala inversión que causó que Hao Wei sufriera de severos ataques de ansiedad y tuviera que medicarse. Con uno o dos capítulos más se habrían cerrado con dignidad estos conflictos; aun así, le mantengo el 8 porque el viaje emocional es hermoso, reflexivo y con una moraleja entrañable.

Siento que quiero volver a verla y eso que acabo de terminarla, espero la hayan disfrutado tanto como yo, es un respiro después de tantos bl tailandeses comerciales.

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You only know the value of what you have when you lose it…

Wishing Upon a Shooting Star was not a drama that immediately caught my attention. I had seen the trailer several times, but it never intrigued me enough to start watching it right away. In the end, it took a recommendation for me to finally give it a chance. And honestly, it turned out to be a very pleasant surprise.

The first thing that immediately won me over was the atmosphere. From the very first minutes, the drama transports us to a small coastal island that feels almost untouched by time. This is about as far from the hustle and bustle of big cities as you can get. Everyone knows each other, neighbors help one another, life moves at a slower pace, and there is an undeniable warmth to the entire setting. Between the unusual houses, the quiet streets, and the beautiful seaside scenery, you can almost feel the salty ocean breeze through the screen. It is the kind of place that instantly makes you want to pack your bags and stay for a few days. Yet beneath this idyllic backdrop, the characters are far from happy. Right from the start, we are introduced to two men who are both going through some of the most difficult periods of their lives. On one side, there is Xiangyong, an unemployed artist who no longer really believes in himself. His self-esteem is practically nonexistent. He feels like he has failed in every aspect of his life and returns to his hometown because there is very little left for him elsewhere. Even that homecoming does not go as he hoped. His reunion with his father is awkward and strained, and it quickly becomes clear that both of them are carrying emotional burdens they have never managed to express. On the other side, Haowei is also on the verge of collapse. His burnout has become so severe that he regularly suffers panic attacks whenever things slip beyond his control. He arrives on the island with a very specific goal: to find the person who was once his first love and reconnect with someone he has never truly been able to forget. But the story really takes off after the famous wish.

After a night of drinking a little more than he probably should have, Xiangyong makes a careless wish that ends up changing his entire life. Convinced that he would be happier if he were someone else, he wishes that he could stop being himself. Against all expectations, the wish comes true. Overnight, the people around him no longer recognize him. I found this premise particularly interesting because it is not simply used as a fantasy gimmick. It becomes the very heart of the drama’s message. Through this new identity, Xiangyong is forced to observe his own life from the outside. A man who was convinced he had no value gradually begins to discover everything he had refused to see. He realizes that the people around him care about him far more than he ever imagined. He also comes to understand just how distorted his view of himself had become because of his failures and lack of confidence.

What touched me the most, however, was probably the relationship with his father. For years, Xiangyong had convinced himself that his father did not truly love him or was simply incapable of understanding him. Yet as his existence slowly fades away, he discovers a very different reality. Behind that apparent coldness is a man who loves his son deeply and is willing to sacrifice far more for him than Xiangyong ever realized. And it is precisely because he has become someone else that he is finally forced to face that truth. Unfortunately, this realization comes at the exact moment when he is no longer able to act. He cannot step in, reveal himself, or fix certain things. All he can do is watch. I found this idea incredibly powerful because it perfectly illustrates the central theme of the series: we often fail to appreciate the value of certain things until we are on the verge of losing them.

In many ways, that is what the entire drama is about. Beneath its fantasy elements, Wishing Upon a Shooting Star is ultimately a story about self-acceptance. It reminds us how easy it is to focus only on our flaws, our failures, and everything we have not achieved. At the same time, it encourages us to look at what we already have: the people who care about us, the connections we have built, and the possibilities that still lie ahead. The wishes scattered throughout the story feel less like magical gifts and more like life lessons.

I also enjoyed the romance quite a lot. While it may not reinvent the genre, it has a sincerity that works extremely well. One of my favorite aspects was the fact that Haowei always recognizes Xiangyong despite his change in appearance. Even when there is no rational explanation for what he is feeling, something inside him immediately knows that it is still the same person. I have to admit that stories where love transcends appearances will always be one of my weaknesses. Their relationship is built on genuine understanding and a sincere desire to help each other move forward. Little by little, they become each other’s support system, which makes their story particularly touching.

Overall, Wishing Upon a Shooting Star was a drama I genuinely enjoyed. Its world is original, its characters are likable, and the themes it explores are both meaningful and relevant. It may not have delivered the overwhelming emotional impact that some of my personal favorites have managed to achieve, but it tells a beautiful story with a great deal of warmth and sincerity. It is a comforting, thoughtful, and deeply human drama that absolutely deserves a chance.

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