Shine on Me

A Modern Day Love Story

Despite the crazy number of episodes (36) I enjoyed this series.
It was funny, dramatic, romantic, sad, and sweet.
I liked that the FL was not a whiny spoilt brat, but turned out to be a strong and intelligent woman. Whereas, one of the MLs - the first on the scene -played by Lai Wei Ming - turned out to be that whiny spoiled brat!
The other ML - Song Wei Long - was not only gorgeous, but could act. He played his part convincingly up until the end, where he was a doting father.
Zhao Jin Mai, who played the FL, has an annoyingly high-pitched voice, but I don't hold that against her, as she was able
to switch between comedy and tragedy very well.
Outstanding in the support cast was her grandmother - played by Xu Yu Lan, but all the support cast was good, especially the younger cousin, Finn Hun, who was a convincing cheeky teenager.
I am not sure if 36 episodes were too much, but the inevitable Chinese government propaganda could have been reduced, to perhaps make this just a really good love story.

Read More

The story ended too early

I really enjoyed the opening of the series, especially the warm camaraderie among the girls in the dormitory. Rong Rong’s jealousy and possessiveness, along with her constant bickering with Shanbao over Zhuang Xu, added a lively dynamic, though I personally didn’t find Zhuang Xu particularly handsome or dashing. The other dormitory characters also revealed their vulnerabilities and insecurities, which made the relationships feel more authentic.

When the story eventually uncovered YuSen’s misunderstanding on Shanbao after his car accident, I felt his bitterness was hard to sympathize with. In the later episodes, the pacing suddenly accelerated, skipping over Nie ChengYuan’s brain surgery entirely. I later discovered that in the novel, YuSen was the one who performed the surgery, which made the omission feel even more disappointing. Overall, I didn’t appreciate the rushed conclusion and wish the series had been extended to 40 episodes instead of ending abruptly at 36.

Read More

Love and Missed Timing

Zhao Jin Mai, who played Nie Xi Guang, portrayed a female lead from a wealthy family who was extremely humble. At first, she appeared carefree and outspoken, but after her confession to the second male lead, she became a completely different character.

Song Wei Long as Lin Yu Sen was essentially Nie Xi Guang’s white knight. I wish we’d seen more character development and emotional depth from him. The character himself lacked complexity. Lin Yu Sen’s resentment toward Nie Xi Guang came from feeling abandoned after a significant accident disrupted his life. He never blamed her for the accident, but he struggled to understand why she hadn’t visited him in the hospital. Once he realized he could no longer be a surgeon, he continued to not hold resentment. Gradually over time, he began to harbor resentment towards Nie Xi Guang because she never once came to visit him. I liked that he didn’t let that darkness consume him, but honestly, I found it a bit unrealistic that he never blamed anyone. And becoming a renowned surgeon at 29? That stretched believability. Their relationship felt extremely perfect and honestly, I found it boring. It would have been more engaging to see how they handled conflicts and differences.

One of the most refreshing aspects of this drama was how Lin Yu Sen didn’t hold a grudge against Nie Xi Guang for long. Usually, dramas love to drag out grudges and revenge plots, but this one was different. When Lin Yu Sen asked Nie Xi Guang, “If I forgot everything that happened before, what about you? Can you forget the way I treated you before?” and she replied, “Yeah, I don’t hold grudges,” it was clear that he was genuinely ready to let go of his resentment. He never brought up the past again and truly got to know her, eventually falling even more in love. I really liked how he respected her boundaries and didn’t waste time courting her. Of course, the grudge he once held came from a misunderstanding, but it was refreshing to see him let it go.

Now, the second male lead, Zhuang Xu, was interesting. Normally, I root for the underdog, but this was the first drama where I genuinely couldn’t just because of the hurtful words he would say to the female lead. I can understand his intentions which is why I can't hate him. Early on, he said to Nie Xi Guang, “You seem unhappy with your job in Wuxi. If you are unhappy, find one yourself. Don’t be picky when something was handed to you,” and, “Then why don’t you find a job yourself instead of staying in Wuxi with your parents, being a parasite with no meaning?” The delivery was harsh, but his intention was actually to encourage her to pursue work in Shanghai. I felt that he truly wanted to pursue her once they were settled in their careers in Shanghai. It was already established that he would be working at a Hua Ya Bank in Shanghai. This was further confirmed when he deliberately handed out her resume to several companies there because he wanted to be closer to her in terms of location.

The real turning point in their relationship came when Rong Rong accused Nie Xi Guang of not relaying a message about an interview. But even before that, there was already a crack forming. When Nie Xi Guang lent Zhuang Xu money for his mother’s surgery and he later paid her back with interest. When Nie Xi Guang looked back on that moment, she saw it as a clear rejection. What she didn’t know was that Zhuang Xu only did this because his brother had told him that Rong Rong had told him Nie Xi Guang was supposedly telling people around campus she lent him money and that being together was inevitable because he owed her. Later on, Nie Xi Guang’s fake phone call to prove her innocence only reinforced Zhuang Xu’s doubts about her character. From his perspective, it made her look guilty rather than wronged. Eventually, he did discover the truth, but instead of apologizing, he chose not to. At that point, their relationship already felt doomed. Zhuang Xu’s insecurities stemmed from his humble upbringing, while Nie Xi Guang came from a wealthy family. Zhuang Xi at one point even says , “What do I have now to be with her?” There is a Chinese saying, “餓死老婆燻臭屋,” which literally translates to starving one’s wife to death and filling the house with a foul smell. He wanted to establish himself in his career before moving forward with the idea of being with Nie Xi Guang. One thing I still don’t understand is why Zhuang Xu never replied to her text. That silence was never explained and felt like a missed opportunity for emotional closure.

I had three favorite scenes, and honestly, they were all centered around Zhuang Xu because that’s where the emotional weight of the drama really lived for me. One was the private conversation between Zhuang Xu and Nie Xi Guang at their friend’s wedding. That scene was heavy with tension and longing. You could feel how much they still cared about each other, even though neither of them could openly say it. There was so much restraint in that moment, like both of them were afraid that saying the wrong thing would expose the feelings they were still trying to bury.

Another scene that really stayed with me was when Rong Rong asked, “You believe her over me?” It’s a line she’d used repeatedly to guilt and control Zhuang Xu. This time, though, his response completely flipped the power dynamic. When he said, “In the past, I always chose to believe you. I already paid my bill for trusting you,” it felt like a turning point. That line was about regret, misplaced loyalty, and the cost of choosing the wrong person to trust.

The final scene, and probably the most emotionally devastating one for me, was when Zhuang Xu finally lost control and confessed his feelings to Nie Xi Guang. Up until that point, he’d always been so restrained, guarded, and emotionally closed off. Seeing him completely unravel in front of her made the scene incredibly powerful. You could feel how much pain, regret, and longing he’d been carrying all that time. It felt less like a confession and more like an emotional breakdown, and that’s what made it hit so hard. That moment alone made his character feel painfully real.

Lai Wei Ming’s portrayal of Zhuang Xu was excellent. At first, I found his acting stiff, but I realized that his character is intentionally reserved and poker faced, never revealing vulnerability easily. He was complex, and he was the most interesting character in the drama. Honestly, I only stuck out because of Zhuang Xu cause his character was the most interesting. After episode 30, I skimmed the rest hoping to see more scenes of him, but there wasn't until the last episode.

As for things that annoyed me, Nie Xi Guang’s circle of friends was questionable, except for Xiao Feng, who consistently defended her. When others questioned her character, they mostly stayed silent. Rong Rong’s constant jabs were tolerated by the rest of the friend group, which didn’t make sense to me. If someone treated a friend that way in real life, cutting them off would be the obvious choice, but here, they kept her around.

Overall, this was an okay drama, but I don’t feel the desire to rewatch it. The main reason is how perfect Nie Xi Guang and Lin Yu Sen’s relationship was which made it boring. Honestly, I skipped a lot of their scenes. Plus, the chemistry between the leads wasn’t consistent.

Read More

Sweet and incredibly cute, it really healed my soul and changed my views of modern cdrama.

I donno what crack they put in this show but I WAS Blown away!! I was giggling, swooning over soo bad.

• The story in itself was nothing special, even a bit bland plot wise... But this was more about Nie Xiguang's journey to improving herself and reaching new heights in romance and career both.

• LIN YUSEN (ML)
Lin Yusen is THE Soulmate material. He loved her but waited for her patiently, told her to not be burdened by his feelings, always supported her, trusted her.
But he's not the cold, broody generic ML though on first impression he does seem so but as we get to know more of him, him teasing her, his hobbies all shine through pointing towards the presence of his personality!!
He's her mentor, friend, confidant, support- the ever present shore where she can rest on.

• ROMANCE
Their relationship development was amazing - it had this subtle sensuality to it while also being incredibly cute, they became close confidants, friends and then lovers, this slow and gradual progression gave the show it's unique charm.

I also didn't mind the initial few episodes which were about Xiguang's life in college, her past with THE crush (also eww man, you're gross for what you did), because it actually gave us insight into her character.

• VISUALS
As if the story wasn't cute & healing enough, the visual storytelling is done so well.... it's like being in a museum surrounded by beautiful artifacts without feeling overwhelmed because each artifact stands out on its own, telling it's story...a bit convoluted (meaning: everything is really gorgeous, but it doesn't feel too much)

The color grading followed this cotton candy kind of theme (incredibly sweet) like the story itself and I loved it.

• ENDING
This one had THE best ending I've ever seen in a Cdrama!! The way everything was tied up together so nicely with a bow, and the baby daughter..? So cute!!
It's Exemplary. That's the kind of ending I deserve from every show.

• Generally not into modern C dramas as I get bored easily with them, and the power imbalance induced by boss & employee relationship is not my cup of tea (tho here, its not a boss employee, but still a workplace romance, she's a novice at her job which leads towards power imbalance, but it doesn't happen). And this one changed my opinion, I really enjoyed this soo much.
Totally recommended.

Read More

The right love will shine brightly

If you like the relaxed pace of slice of life dramas that are low on angst and big on character development with great acting, you’ll love this drama. It’s not for everyone, if you’re looking for high energy, angst and riveting plot twists, you’ll be disappointed. But it’s a solid drama with great acting, lots of character development and its underlying message comes through loud and clear.

Acting
The acting is quite good, the villains made me hate them and the good characters made me love them. The main leads were especially good in their emotional scenes. I really felt their pain. I have no complaints about the acting at all, it was way above average.

Storyline
The storyline was a bit cliche with two male leads fighting over one girl, but I liked the underlying message that was conveyed. The basic storyline was built around the three main characters different views on love. Each character had a different perspective on what love was and how relationships work. The second male lead thought being of equal status in life was most important in a relationship so he continually pushed the female lead away until he was ready, resulting in losing the opportunity to be with her. The main male lead knew that a good relationship is based on kindness, respect and trust. And an opportunity can easily be missed if you don’t take immediate action. His hard work, patience and loyalty paid off. The female lead thought love was invincible and that even if it’s one sided it would never change. She realized that love needs to be mutual for it to thrive and grow. I really like the depth of the storyline and the uniqueness of the job they did too. I don’t think I’ve seen a storyline built around solar powered energy before.

Characters
The characters had depth and were well fleshed out. You get to know all of the main characters families and their back stories. Just about everyone had lots of character growth, except a few villains (but they never learn do they?) I enjoyed seeing the female lead find herself and realize what she wanted to do with her life. And the male lead was a bit lost but found his way which was satisfying to watch.

Romance
This is definitely a slow burn romance, but once they’re together there’s lots of skinship. The main leads kiss, cuddle, hold hands, etc quite a lot. And you get to see them dating and together for a good while throughout the last few episodes, so it’s worth the wait. I really enjoyed the romance aspect of this drama, it was perfect.

Underlying message
The underlying message of how, when you’re with the right person, it’s like having a bright light shining brilliantly in the darkness and lighting up your life. You both become better people because you’re helping each other become the best version of themselves that they can be. The title “Shine On Me” was perfect for this drama. It’s a great drama I would recommend watching. My only complaint is that it’s a bit slow sometimes and things don’t progress as quickly as they should have. Stuff got drawn out for too long, the drama could have been shorter. But I loved the romance, I loved the underlying message, the character growth was great and the acting was really good. It’s not perfect but it’s a great watch.

Read More

I hardly watch dramas when they air, but I read part of the novel this was based on and liked it. Shine on Me is probably an 8 or 8.5, but I rated it a bit higher, mainly because I like the chemistry between the leads.

This isn't for everyone because it's a slow burn where nothing much happens. A huge chunk of the plot also had boring information on the solar power industry. I know that talking about a specific area (gaming in Love O2O or aerospace in You Are My Glory) is a signature in Gu Man's novels, so I expected it. Despite not being as eventful, this drama came at the right time for me...I watched 2 plot heavy dramas before this, so the lighter fare made it a perfect comfort watch during the holidays.

A lot of positives here...a lot of focus on healing, successful career women, loving/supportive relatives, etc.. Mainly, the way the male lead looks at the female lead (ex: the scene where she's writing her name on his hand shows how much he yearns for her)...one can also tell he really likes her, even in the beginning when he is cold and distant. The couple here are not passionate or emotional like the one in The First Frost, but they have their own love language, which also works. The camera focuses a lot on the way the male lead always reaches out for the female lead's hands, their hand holding, etc. His gestures are very affectionate and protective- from the way he hugs her (completely enveloping her), kisses her forehead, the way he goes in front of her when one of the villagers (accusing her father of owing money) was leering at her, etc. They have a lighter, fluffier relationship full of sweet moments...it just takes awhile to get there.

One of the main things (if not the main thing) that makes Shine on Me work is the way the male lead is written. Lin Yusen is kindhearted, devoted and shameless when it comes to love. He cares for the female lead, Nie Xiguang, a lot, to the point that he does not mind pursuing her even if she may not reciprocate his feelings. He is also direct without being pushy and is very patient and considerate. A lot of viewers criticize the actor (Song Wei Long) for not being skilled enough. While I don't think he's the best in acting, I find him to be less robotic than say, Yang Yang (no offense to his fans), who gets far less criticism. There's nothing wrong with an actor going outside his comfort zone, but Wei Long strikes me as the type who fits specific roles. Much like Yang Yang and Ryan Ding, he tends to fit good guy roles better...but I'm guessing that he gets typecast into bad boy roles (which, IMHO do not fit him) because he has sharp features. In any case, I think he played Lin Yusen very well and that this character was a perfect fit.

I appreciate how the male lead was confident, but at the same time, vulnerable when it came to the female lead. There were a lot of moments where he appeared at a loss or uncertain (ex: when he was apologizing for confessing to her in ep13, his look of disbelief when she said she wanted to be with him at the end of ep24, etc). His character is ideal, but not perfect in that he also makes mistakes, like when he misjudged her. The good thing is that despite his initial coldness, he still treats her well and is able to overcome his resentment and let go of his prejudice. I think the writer must have watched a lot of shows with a jerk/cold/distant male lead and got second lead syndrome, which is why she created this character. Lin Yusen resembles a lot of second male leads...but there is an iconic knight in shining armor scene (if one does not mind that sort of thing) where he goes up the steps to rescue Xiguang from her toxic friends/ex-crush, which is rather dramatic, but effective. You just know* he is the male lead after this.

I also really like Zhao Jin Mai's performance as Nie Xiguang. She has a natural way of acting where she is able to portray the typical innocent female lead without being grating or annoying. Her speaking voice is cheerful without sounding like she sucked an air balloon. She is depicted as a privileged character and yet very down to earth. I like how the actress is able to emote/cry in certain scenes (ex: the hospital scene with Yu Sen after her accident and the scene where her father was hospitalized) without going over the top. I also love the intelligent and loyal way she reacts to situations. When her father accuses Yusen of being duplicitous, her immediate response is to defend him. She gets upset when he is slandered and when she hears rumors about him, she goes directly to him and asks him about it, instead of doubting him and making the problem worse.

I kept wondering why Zhuang Xu, the second male lead, had so many scenes...then I realized it was an effective way for the writers to show the contrast between him and Yusen. For the record, I don't think there is anything wrong with having a male lead with insecurities. What's wrong is if they take these insecurities out on others. Zhuang Xu's inferiority complex about his background was not the problem...the problem was that he attacked Xiguang's background because of it. Also, there is nothing wrong with Xiguang pursuing him or him rejecting her. This is the issue I had with that other drama, Everybody Loves Me, where the female lead grew angry with the male lead for rejecting her. No one is obligated to accept a confession if they are not ready or don't feel the same.

The issue is not that Zhuang Xu rejected her, but that he deliberately misled her into believing that he was with another woman...then grew angry later on when he thought she did the same thing with Yusen. The issue is not that he lacked directness (not everyone is direct) or was ambiguous, but that he expected her to read his mind, as if she were professor X- relying on weird grape analogies he expected her to interpret correctly. His attitude unintentionally created a lot of humorous moments, such as when he was sullenly looking on while Xiguang served Yusen fish soup during the wedding reception of their friend.

I also don't understand why he was so insecure. Sure, he came from a humble background, but so what? He came from a good school, is smart (at least in terms of IQ), was successful at work (made it to the top in just a few years), is good looking and practically half the female cast was in love with him. I couldn't figure out why he kept acting like a pandora's box of inner turmoil...he basically had everything and nothing to mope about. I hope the actor playing this role gets elevated into a more likeable male lead soon...because this Zhuang Zu was hated by readers years ago and now...10 years later, is disliked by a lot of viewers and with good reason.

Read More

THE CHEMISTRY!

It's the first time that I'm watching a drama with either Song Wei Long and Zhao Jin Mai as I was never a fan of them, well, until now, that is. I've seen a lot of edits on TikTok with that specific show and it did not disappoint. The chemistry between these two is what makes the story more and more intriguing and there were many giddy moments that I replayed while watching it.

As far as the plot goes, it was not something that we didn't see before. The main leads are both coming from wealthy families that have close friends and families, privileged life, yet, they are not spoiled or entitled as it may seem from the beginning. They are hard working, often misunderstood because of their family wealth and kind-hearted. They fit each other quite well in that aspect. It starts from a misunderstanding between these two that took quite a while until it's solved to be honest, yet, the MML, even though he was hurt and lost his job due to an accident that cost his job, he fell fast for the heroine who was blamed for his accident in his head. Apart from some misc extra work that he put on FML's shoulders, he was the total gentleman. It was not, by any chance an enemies-to-lovers type of drama but it was more like he-fell-first-he-fell-harder.

I liked the SML's story quite a lot. I liked that he showed his pained and lost-chance POV just because he felt inferior to FML's life, yet, he was not innocent or a golden retriever boy. He actually threw shade to FML, made snarky remarks to her and often made her cry yet he was hurt the most in the end. It was a nice 'twist' of the original SML that we are used to see.

It was a very mature and well-rounded story and the chemistry between those two was top-notched. It was such a healthy relationship between adults, who are still figuring out life and exploring love with their own pace, learning about each other and spending time together without losing their focus on their work career. I liked that FML was not a pushover and actually defended herself and her friends when it is needed and actually gave up on the SML showing its course from falling in and out of love with the same guy.

I would definitely rewatch it!

Read More

A love story

Shine on Me" is a love story about a doctor who falls in love at first sight. However, due to a misunderstanding, he resents his first love until the truth is revealed. When he learns the truth, he is left dumbstruck. As time passes, he slowly recovers and eventually begins his love journey again.
The drama contains romantic and innocent moments where both the boy and the girl sometimes look naive and adorable.
I always feel bad for the second lead. He suffers heartbreak without any real fault. The girl hides her true feelings and keeps lying to him. When he discovers that she has hidden many things from him, he is shocked. She says she left the city, but she actually did not. They both love each other, but neither confesses their feelings. Meanwhile, she meets someone else and falls for him. Because of circumstances, she begins to love someone else.

Read More

Great Start but Fell Flat

I went into this drama not knowing what the plot was but quickly found myself binging episode after episode. However, at some point (and as with many Chinese dramas), I started to feel it drag - unfortunately, I didn't really pay attention to which episode I really started feeling this, but I mostly had it playing on in the background while I did other things.

By the latter part of the drama, I was jumping around in the episodes, mostly skipping the parts related to their work. I'm certain there was a reason for all of this to be part of the plot, but it didn't catch my attention at all and I thought it could have been condensed significantly.

Aside from the main characters (+ FL extended family and coworkers), most of the side characters were pretty unlikeable and, by the end, pretty much irrelevant. Also, I do love a time-skip but it was a bit wild that they suddenly had multiple time-skips in the last episode. I thought things could have been cut out in earlier parts to perhaps spread this out a bit into two episodes. Anyway, by then, I was already watching the drama at 3x speed and just trying to complete it.

I'd be curious how the storyline compares to the book it is based off of. Song Weilong is always nice to look at on the screen, but in the end, the drama felt somewhat disappointing / lackluster.

Read More