Shine on Me

She was his Sunshine and He was her's.

Shine on me is a slow burn drama.

Maimai and Weilong were cute together.
The second lead appears the msot in the first few epsidoes. I was frustrated with with in the first few episodes but as the story went forth I felt bad for him. But again, he was responsible for whatever he did. And then our male lead is a whole green forest.
Your standards are going to raise. My god SONG WEI LONG the man he is. He kille dme with his smiles.
And i think the story had a different way of presentation. So initially few episode its just the second lead and then the male leads office meet ups (while he secretly likes her). He only decides to pursue her /court her after episode 10. So you need to wait a lot with patience. But while he was courting her it felt like they were actually dating but it was just not official.
And confession only comes in ep 24.
But but but but its worth it. Its worth it.
Its cute. Just watch it with patience. Dont give up mid way.

Cons for me.
•It is draggy. The sking trip they had lasted for ages i felt.
•They kept shifting from time to time. And dint pick where they left.
• The ending was good but draggy again.
• I think 25 to 30 episodes were enough for thsi drama. They just extended it a lot .

So good drama. Good vibe.
Speaking mention is the " You are the sun in my life" ost and 'Raindrop' an english ost.
They added a speacial mood to the scenes

Read More

DNF - I like SWL but....

At this point I don't even know why I am still watching this show as I keep FF-ing to all the interesting parts (interactions between main lead and main lead and her cousin) and even then, they are not THAT interesting.

I remember liking SWL so I wanted to watch this but I agree with others in thinking that the main lead/couple aren't giving any chemistry. When the camera is focused on one of them they do a good job with flirty banter but when they are both in the screen its meh.

The first 5 episodes with the FL and her shitty college friend group almost caused me to drop the show but I was waiting for SWL to make an appearance.

When he finally does show up and seems interested but resentful of her finding out the reason why was the reason for me to continue watching the show. I'm on episode 21 and I might have missed it or maybe it's coming up soon but I already found out the answer while looking at other reviews spoilers. He was upset because they were supposed to have gone on a blind date at some point and she didn't remember? Why was he so obsessed with someone he never got to meet?

Another thing that threw me off was that the FL looks like she is 16 years old in this show and while I know the 2 actors are only 2-3 years apart, the way she is dressed ages her down and it almost made their relationship and his pursuing her inappropriate. And i'm not saying that SWL looks old but I think he pulled off looking like he 28-30 years old in the show.

As others have mentioned, his background as being a medical prodigy to successful businessmen was so unbelievable.

Anyways, i'm dropping this. Oh! One good thing, the soundtrack was pretty good!

Read More

Slow burn romance - but it's not just romance only - it's lessons on different relationship dynamics

*spoilers*

I just finished watching this drama today (Jan 14th 2026) - only took me about 4 days to finish it all.

To be honest, many people mistaken this story to just be a romantic relationship that starts off in school and goes into the workplace - which is obviously not true for the 2 main leads. Nie Xi Guang - the first part of the story, has her in last year in university (roughly) - deciding on where she wants to work and what to do with her life - at the same time, she's dealing with her thesis paper and at the same time - the relationship dynamics of friends in her dorm and the one sided unrequited love that she has for Zhaung Xu (which we know him as SML - didn't work out - b/c of the misleading - annoying Rong - who accused her of things she - Nie Xi Guang - never actually did not do at all - but got framed by her and that ruin the once so-called friendship bound future relationship with Zhaung Xu --- the fact of this mistrust lead to the FL breaking down and eventually moved on from him - although Zhaung Xu - thought differently and too slowly - that he lost out on her - which is actually his fault too. By the time Zhaung Xu realizes his feelings for Xi Guang - she (the FL) already moved on in her life and has no more interest in him - despite the fact that Zhaung Xu kept on pestering her for a lot time, until the final big confrontation then he realizes that he has to let her go). On the next part of the story - we get to see Xi Guang discover what she likes to do, see her grow to love her job and become better at it over time. Leading her to be a very successful CEO towards the end of the story - when we see the ML switching out of the CEO role of the company they both worked at - to becoming a medical biotechnology specialist/developer too - into the field that he originally loves to work in/do.

Anyways, moving the story along - I think the amount of business shown in here was the right amount and makes it equally important to the overall storyline - as the main focus of the story - the ML switched from being a neurosurgeon to a solar energy CEO - due to the car accident he had prior to meeting the FL (2 yrs later - after his indirect encounter with the FL at Ms. Yu's special gala) - that had him do a huge career change at that time. If it wasn't for his great grandfather's idea of bringing him onboard to the company of his - then Lin Yu Sen wouldn't have met Xi Guang in the story, in Suzhou - which is a subsidiary company of his great grandfather's. Later as the story develops - we see Lin Yu Sen (ML) - changed, grow, mature and becomes a better person overall - he pursues all of his career fields very well - from that of a neurosurgeon to being a super knowledgeable person in the solar energy field of work - to going back to his original career field and pursue something more rewarding than before.

Either way - b/w the 2 main leads - the chemistry b/w the two - the trust, support, unconditional love for each other, the encouragements, the clearing of any possible misunderstandings, and the romance between the two were very sweet and great. I enjoyed every moment of their time together. Including the ending part where we get to see their married life - with their kid going to kindergarten, their major achievements that they both made in their respective fields of work - at the same time, the promises they made with each other back in the days they were dating/working together and more. The parts where I wished could've been more would be their wedding and proposal scene - where it seem a bit to fast/short/missed/cut - it was nice to see they did get married to each other - but without an audience/presence of family members, etc it. Seems like their marriage was private and fast - they got themselves married in the special garden that Xi Guang designed without any witnesses around - which I was quite surprised that it happened that way - but nonetheless I did get to see them get married to one another - and continue on with their lives as usual - both business and family life together.

As for all the other side characters - most of them were will done and they all had their reasonable redemption arc or not. But it does give you a better glimpse of those involved directly/indirectly in the lives of the 2 leads - both good and bad.

As for the traveling part of the story, it's good to show that too - cause this storyline is considered a "slice of life" kind of story - it's not just always romance only. It contains the dynamics of other relationships too - whether it be for business or personal life too - esp on the part of the FL being afraid of flying to her relationship with each member of the family of hers - both good and bad ones too,

Therefore, in conclusion - don't judge a drama and give it a low rating/bad comment - just b/c you only watched a couple or few episodes of the drama itself. Or you came here to watch only the romance and don't care about the rest of the storyline at all. This drama to me, brought out a lot of different life lessons to learn from and be able to apply it to your daily life too.

So, go ahead and watch it - if you like slow burn romance that involves not just romance only - but every day life and things - including school, workplace dynamics, and family + friend dynamics too.

Also, please don't be disrespectful to the actors or actresses in this drama - including any insults thrown their way. As you the viewer has no right to judge others - as no one is perfect in this world at all. We all make mistakes in our lives that can/cannot be forgiven and we are all made unique + special too.

That's my 2 cents worth of opinion/insight that I see as a viewer of this drama. Please don't bash me for it, thanks. Enjoy!

Read More

It's not bad, it's just boring.

Background plot- 65%
Romance - 30%
Misc comedy - 5%

Background plot - Boring
Romantic chemistry - Pretty good
Misc comedy - Fine
Production value - Pretty good
Direction / editing - Not great

It pains me to write this review because the two leads are some of my favorites, but this drama was painfully boring. Not even the chemistry between the two main characters could save it. I kept finding reasons to turn it off or watch something else and I had to talk myself into finishing it.

I love a good slow, cozy romance / story, see last year's The Best Thing or First Frost. But this one was not it and the issue, I think, was the complete lack of real story and therefore character growth for the two main characters. They started the drama as strong, kind, lovely people and they ended the drama just the same. Add in all the incredibly dull scenes about solar panel technology that felt like propaganda and completely unnecessary and I had to fast forward at least 50% of the drama, but even then the parts that remained were so freaking BORING.

I'm not sure what else to say. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Read More

A Slow Burn That Glows Brighter With Every Episode

I’ve seen reviews calling the story “slow,” or saying it takes too long before the leads come together—but that deliberate pace is exactly what makes Shine On Me extraordinary.
It’s a romance that simmers, layering small gestures, missed moments, and quiet emotional turns until the relationship feels not only earned, but inevitable.

Even more impressive is how faithfully—and intelligently—the drama adapts the novel. The added side plots deepen the world, expand the emotional stakes, and give every character a sense of purpose and history. While the final episode felt rushed (and certain scenes like Yusen’s cousin’s airport cameo or the slightly stiff moments with their daughter could have used more refinement), these are small cracks in an otherwise incredibly polished work.
This drama rewards viewers who pay attention—the ones who notice the details, the subtext, the cultural symbolism.
In Shine On Me, small things become everything.

A Triangle Where Both Men Are Deeply Lovable—and Deeply Flawed

Song Weilong (Lin Yusen) and Zhang Xincheng (Zhuang Xu) create one of the rare love triangles where both men are written with depth, nuance, and emotional credibility.

Lin Yusen — A Forest Full of Light, Longing, and Demons
Portrayed by Song Weilong, Lin Yusen immediately stands out as a male lead whose flaws are rooted not in arrogance, but in vulnerability.
He comes from privilege yet walks a self-chosen path of service and humility. His love for Nie Xiguang is intense, devoted, and—at times—painfully insecure. He loves too deeply, too quickly, with a heart too full of fear.
But what makes him unforgettable is how the show balances his emotional wounds with scenes of pure comedic brilliance—his shameless, impatient, determined attempts to get close to Xiguang.

Lin Yusen’s “Shameless Pursuit” — My Favorite Part of the Entire Drama
These scenes are iconic:
- From Episode 8: Turning Xiguang’s hospital room into the doctors’ meeting room, bringing her daily breakfast, using his friend who is the attending physician to Xiguann insisting she join their meals, hovering with transparent eagerness.
- Bringing work to her hospital bedside, pretending it’s “for her recovery,” but clearly just wanting to stay near her.
- Unofficially adding her to a wedding invitation, and casually dropping hints about future weddings and future bosses (the audacity!).
- Inviting himself to hotel breakfast just so she won’t have to eat alone.
- Organizing a dinner with colleagues and ‘accidentally’ forgetting his wallet, forcing a not-so-subtle moment of connection.
- Becoming a temporary ski instructor at her family holiday—just to be near her and know her family
- Volunteering to play her sick grandfather in a call (one of the funniest, most absurdly adorable scenes in modern C-drama).

These moments are comedy gold, executed with such charm that you can’t help but adore him.
He is clingy, transparent, impatient—and completely endearing.
His shamelessness is not predatory; it’s a wounded man’s earnest attempt to grasp at warmth after years of self-inflicted coldness.

Zhuang Xu — The Brilliant Ideal Who Waited Too Long
Zhuang Xu rises from poverty, building himself into a high-achieving, intelligent, admirable man. He is: capable, steady, quietly charismatic, the classic “ideal guy”
But emotionally? He is closed-off, hesitant, and too slow to confront his feelings. He also got too much pride and doesn't want to accept any "debt" or help. His timing is tragic, not malicious.

Why Their Parallelism Works
Both men are: smart, tall and handsome, successful, capable of deep love But they are flawed in opposite ways: Yusen loves too fiercely, too fast. Zhuang Xu loves too late, too guarded. Their contrast doesn’t divide the story—it enriches it.

Nie Xiguang — The Gentle Dawn Who Warms Everyone
Zhao Jinmai shines as Nie Xiguang: simple, frugal, grounded, and quietly dazzling. Despite being a wealthy heiress, she lives humbly, cherishing sincerity over status. Her warmth with her cousin and grandparents, the contrast between her parents, and her calm resilience all shape her into the perfect emotional counterpart to Lin Yusen.

Her character name says it all:
曦 (xī) = morning sunlight
光 (guāng) = light
She is literally the light that melts his forest of shadows.

Symbolism That Elevates the Entire Story
The show cleverly weaves Chinese culture, language, and visual metaphors into modern life.

1. Mandarin Peel Scene — “Just” (仅 / 只是) and the Hidden Wordplay with ‘Lin’ (林)
In the hospital scene, Xiguang writes “just” using a mandarin peel. The word “just” in Chinese can be:
仅 (jǐn)
只是 (zhǐshì)
or the radical/structure connected to 林 (lín), Yusen’s surname

Why this is brilliant:
- A “Just” Encounter
She pretends he is “just” a doctor at that moment, masking her deeper feelings.
- A Pun on His Name
The strokes formed by the peel resemble the structure in 林 (Lin)—
a playful, silent way of calling him by name without speaking it.
- Untying His Knot
She unknowingly soothes his trauma as a former neurosurgeon who lost everything. Her presence becomes the “just right” catalyst for healing. It is the quietest yet most intimate shift in their relationship.

2. The Blue Ribbon — Mourning His Past Self
Traditionally a symbol of family mourning, the blue ribbon becomes Yusen’s self-imposed shroud: mourning the death of his identity as a surgeon, carrying the unresolved grief of the accident, living with a constant sense of guilt.
When he texts Xiguang from the ambulance while still wearing the ribbon, it represents: emotional rebirth, letting go of trauma, choosing connection over fear, trusting her with his vulnerabilities. This is the moment he stops running from his past.

3. The Fireworks — “You Are Worth It”
In freezing weather dark night, she lights the night for him: healing his painful childhood, becoming his source of joy and light, giving him warmth where he had only cold memories, marking a new beginning. He keeps the last firework as a precious “souvenir”—his way of cherishing her love.

4. The Egg Scene — Two Families Becoming One
Buying different eggs symbolizes: blending two families, valuing the simplicity of shared daily life, taking the first step into a future filled with small, ordinary happiness. It’s domestic, gentle, and quietly meaningful.

5. Red Beans (红豆 / 相思豆) — The Soul-Deep Confession
In Episode 22, Xiguang replaces Yusen’s rehabilitation soybeans with red beans, known in Chinese culture as 相思豆 (love seeds). They symbolize: yearning, devotion, unspoken longing, mutual love, the promise of returning affection. So when Xiguang chooses red beans—not white, not neutral, but love seeds—her gesture becomes a confession deeper than words could ever express.

But the true emotional climax comes when she asks him to hold out his palm so she can place the final red bean into his hand.
That single moment signifies:
“I’m giving you all of my heart.”
“There is no part of my feelings hidden from you.”
“Nothing is held back, nothing is left out.”
“Your once-unreturned love is now fully, completely answered.”
It is intimate, deliberate, and soul-baring.

By placing the last red bean in his palm, she is not just giving him a seed— she is giving him certainty. The certainty he has craved, feared, and longed for since the day he fell for her. It is the moment Lin Yusen’s deepest insecurity finally dissolves, replaced by the quiet, profound understanding that: She chooses him—wholly, willingly, and without reservation. This is one of the most emotionally charged confessions in the entire drama. She answers his fears, his clinginess, his inner demons—without speaking a single word. It is tender, powerful, and deeply rooted in Chinese culture.

Their Names & Solar PV Business—Hidden Symbolism
Their names are intentionally crafted:
Nie Xiguang (聂曦光) = sunlight at dawn
Lin Yusen (林屿森) = forest, shelter, quiet depth
Sunlight + Forest = the relationship they build.
Even their solar photovoltaic business mirrors this: Xiguang is the sunlight. Yusen is the structure that supports it. She gives warmth. He gives grounding. Together, they generate something powerful.
This level of symbolism is rare in modern C-dramas.

Musical Scoring — Magical, Modern, and Surprisingly International
The OST elevates everything. The use of English songs is particularly striking—they make fluffy moments sweeter, emotional moments deeper, and romantic scenes achingly atmospheric. The music makes everything feel cinematic, like you’re watching memories instead of scenes.


Acting Performances
Zhao Jinmai (Nie Xiguang) is outstanding—expressive, natural, comedic, and mature, bringing warmth and depth to every scene.
Song Weilong (Lin Yusen) shines as a young actor portraying a wounded, mature man, though a few highly dramatic scenes still felt underplayed.
Zhang Xincheng (Zhuang Xu) perfectly embodies the emotionally restrained, late-blooming contender, balancing charm and subtlety.
Finn Hann (Jiang Rui) is a true gem in the series, with powerful chemistry with Xiguang; his presence is a joy to watch, adding both humor and heart.

Final Thoughts — A Warm, Thoughtful, Healing Romance
Shine On Me doesn’t rush. It doesn’t spoon-feed. It takes its time, trusts its symbolism, and lets its characters breathe naturally.
It is:
- beautifully shot
- quietly emotional
- culturally rich
- full of meaningful small moments
- deeply rewatchable

A gem for anyone who loves slow-burn romance with thoughtful storytelling, emotional depth and exquisite symbolism.
Highly, highly recommended.

Read More

No-kissing Clause from Female Lead.

Great story but the no- kissing clause.from the female.lead dragged the whole.story to the catacombes! Male lead carried the story but their love lacked that "je ne sais quoi" that should have made this love story believable! Too bad l! Someone should tell Meimei to pick different script/ stories. You can̈not have such beautiful.script and no physical.contact with the love of your life...Normal people.cannot buy it and she could not sell it. Such a waste of great love story! Could habe been one of the freats in the books. Misuse of Song Weilong as a vibrant actor. She is a good actress but need to remove that clause when your co star is Song Weilong...

Read More

It’s always hard for me to review shows but I’M in LOVE

I usually don’t write many reviews on tv shows cause I find them often deceiving. Most good shows actually have a lot of good reviews and usually I mostly agree with them.

Some of the best reviewed shows on mydramalist are “The untamed”, “Twinkling watermelon” and “Hidden love” and honestly, can I disagree with this?! NO, cause I love both of those shows myself but they’re not for everyone. I tried to get my sister to watch “Hidden love” but with no luck.

So I always feel like everyone can have different tastes and it’s hard to review a show in an objectively way, especially if you’re not a pro working into cinematography world.

So why am I still writing a review here?
Cause I LOVE THIS SHOW and I want to share my love with everyone else even if there will be still people not liking this.

I’m in a “Chinese Drama period” those holidays and I’m watching so many C-drama compared to my usual kdrama and BL’s content. I’ve also watched the hyped one about car racing “Speed and love” but honestly this is one of my fav at the moment.

I didn’t like a Cdrama so much after “Hidden love” and the reason why I think I do is the main character, the boy. Like in Hidden love, here also the main character doctor Lin is a bit the unlucky one (as you see in the first minutes of the first episode even if you’ll understand why later on).
What makes me so in love with those shows is the fact that the main guy had bad luck 🍀 and had to go through a lot but in the end love is what sort of always give them a second chance to be really happy in life.

And being such a romantic girl, that’s what makes my heart beats and this is why I love those shows so much.

Speed and love is a show I liked a lot less just because there was a lot of talks about racing, cars and stuff I’m not really that interested into so even if that love story was very beautiful and powerful as well, there was too much side story that bored me.

Here, like in hidden love, the main focus is the LOVE STORY and the development of the feelings, very slowly but nicely.

So I guess I could tell you that if you’re like me, loving romantic stories where the love story is the main character of the show I think you could fall in love with “Shine on me”.

Read More

Zhuang Xu count your fucking days.

One thing about men is their audacity. And Zhuang Xu is that man. I want to run him over, reverse, then do it again at least ten times. I thought I had met annoying second leads before, but my god, Zhuang Xu made me wanna rip out my hair more times than humanly possible. I swear to god, I’m so glad I didn’t have to see him so much after they graduated, cuz if I had to, I might have actually dropped his show. I can’t stand him. I genuinely can’t. I don’t care what your issues are, what you’re struggling with, or what you’re dealing with, STOP FUCKING PROJECTING YOUR PROBLEMS ONTO THE MAIN GIRL.

This man reeks of insecurity, and he makes it OUR fucking problem. FUCK OFF. Usually, I don’t care about second leads; even more rarely, I fall for them, but this guy. This bloody guy. He makes my blood boil. He would just be standing there like a nob, and I would still feel myself getting annoyed. How the fuck were there THREE girls interested in him? THREE?! And the fact that our main girl was still hung on him after like a year?! GIRL PLS, WAKE UP WTF!!

People are right when they say men will do anything but take accountability and go to therapy. And add that with their fucking audacity, and they are insufferable. I knew this guy was going to be a problem the moment he called Xiguang pathetic for apparently “leeching off her parents”. His words, not mine. The moment I heard that, I knew this guy was for the fucking streets. Like, why are you projecting your fucking insecurities onto her? And don’t even get me started on him getting onto her for wearing heels because she wanted to look pretty. Like, excuse me!? Go die. Disrespectfully, go die.

And no, I don’t give a flying fuck that he loved her all along, and he didn’t know how to express it, and that he wouldn't have been able to confess cuz blah, blah, blah. No. Fuck you lot for trying to justify this behaviour. Our ML hated the FL and yet couldn’t help but love her. He pursued her DESPITE her being hung up on the SL. And what does our SL do? He calls her pathetic, doesn’t believe or defend her when she’s getting ganged up on, scolds her when she wears heels, lets countless opportunities go, and fucking expects the FL to follow him like a lost puppy.

And oh. OH. When he mentioned the promise. The rage I felt course through my body when he confronted her at the friend's wedding. Not only did he purposefully spill wine all over her hand because he was jealous, but he had the AUDACITY to be mad at her for “moving on”. I can’t. I’m sorry, if anyone likes this guy or even remotely tries to defend him, you're on my hit list. It’s giving bullying the girl you like, but in this case, he’s a fucking adult, he graduated at the top of his class and works at one of the most prestigious places. Get this stinky attitude out of my face.

And when he lost his shit, I was terrified. That was the look of a man who would hit you if you weren’t in public. Kudos to the actor because my god, he was able to make this man terrifying and annoying and so hateful. And Xiguang is a better person than me cuz I would have at least slapped him for the way he was grabbing her wrist. Talking about some missed opportunities and having nothing left to lose. Motherfucker you bought this upon yourself, go suck a cactus and choke. Fucking hell.

I can’t believe I spent this long talking about this loser. I just can’t stand him one bit. And this is the first time a SL made me this enraged. This drama got so much hype, and I can totally see why it did, but I guess it just wasn’t for me. I got the hype, but the hype didn’t hit me unfortunately.


Let’s talk about the positives now cuz I spent far too long talking about that annoying being that is a wet sock.

- I loved the character relationships. The friendships and dynamics were absolutely solid, and I liked how we gave every single one of them enough time. FL and her cousin might just be my favourite dynamic of all time. They’re so adorable, especially in the more serious moments.

- The main couple are amazing. I mainly watched this show for its romance, and I’m not ashamed to say it. Yusen is the perfect man and an incredible yearner. How Xiguang didn’t jump his bones from the get-go is beyond me. I think I focused more on Yusen’s face than I did on the actual show. Song Wei Long is a gorgeous man, and that face card of his has never once declined.

- I appreciate how down-to-earth both the leads were despite being rich. And glad that we didn’t do the whole poor girl x rich CEO trope that we usually see. They were at the same level, and that was a breath of fresh air. Sometimes I even forgot they were rich lmao. The scene where Xiguang claimed her mans in front of all the rich business people had me screaming. Like yes girl, that man belongs to you!!

- We got to see ML’s struggles with accepting not being a neurosurgeon anymore more than I expected. Honestly, I thought we were gonna forget that as the show went on, but it was one of the main focal points of the story, and I was so happy. Even the fact that we got to see him in medical situations, and how much he misses it. Glad he got to go back to doing a job related to it.


Now onto everything else I didn’t like apart from Zhuang Xu:

- The CGI in this show was fucking horrendous, my god. It made me laugh. Budget couldn’t have been that bad, right?

- As much as I loved all the medical stuff, I feel like that was just a gimmick to make this series stand out from the rest of the office romance dramas out there. Yeah, the guy went through a life-changing tragedy, and he had to change careers, but I feel like he could have done something that wasn’t a CEO. I don’t know, you could just tell the writer wanted an office romance, but wanted this to stand out somehow and figured, hey, what do the girlies also love? Oh yeah, hot doctors! Like, the ML is the youngest AND the top neurosurgeon, but also a CEO? Come on, pick one or the other. I get that Chinese MLs can basically do anything, but even this is a bit of a stretch. I guess they somehow managed to link it back to his childhood backstory, but still.

- Story felt incredibly slow. I’m amazing with slow-burn dramas. Some of my favourites are slow burns that don’t have much going on in them plot-wise. But this show just didn’t do it for me. The start was pretty solid, but somewhere in the middle, it got so boring and draggy that I had to use my skip button. Maybe because I liked the medical stuff more than the business. Which really doesn’t bode well when this is an office romance.

- The weddings. I’m sorry, did we blow out the budget in the last two weddings? What the hell was that? They’re the main couple, and we don’t even get a proper wedding? When the hell can we start having proper modern wedding scenes in Chinese dramas? I’m sick and tired of this shit.

- Ending lowkey felt rushed. Don’t know why we always have to include them having children. I mean, it was cute, but that’s always the ending. Give me a proper wedding instead, damn it!!

I guess this was about it, really. The edits made me watch this show, and I think this is the first time that the edits were better. Which is sad to say, because I love Zhao Jin Mai, and I was so excited to see her back on my screen. But I guess it is what it is. LIN YUSEN, YOU’RE STILL MY FAVOURITE!! AND ONCE AGAIN, FUCK ZHUANG XU!!

Read More

don't let ur crush get in the way of ur husband!

this was so fluffy and sweet and romantic muah muah green flag. the business parts i skipped em all! cuz why are they just filler episodes i hate it. anywho...

things i liked:
1. FL did not let the 2ML have another chance/she didn't put up with him. SOOOO many times i watch these dramas and the FL gives the 2ML the benefit of the doubt or another chance and ditches her ML. didnt do that tho! and she put him in his place and he still crawled back. mmhm. side note, (2ML lost out on THREE whole baddies...LOL)
2, NGL loved the heir x heiress rich x rich vibe. kidna cute at the wedding scenes the couple has their own inside jokes and aslo understands the other's family dynamic etc etc. enough with the rich x poor!!!! glad this didnt have that
3. it only took FL to cry ONCE and ML literally was on the ground and lost all of his resentment toward the woman that (supposedly) ruined his entire career. that had me floored tbh lol.
4. LOVE LOVE LOVED THE COUSIN. HE WAS THE MOMENT FOR ME. his acting wasn't stiff and fake like so many others and he was so real and cute. His acting was fire fire. i need more of him.

things i didnt like:
1. business plot duh
2. this was fire up til like ep 18-25 ish. after that just got BORING. like yes they love each other and are in a healthy stable relationship but like BRUHHHH BORING!!!!!!! nothing funny at all just calm calm. too boring.
3. WISH THERE WAS A 2ND LOVE LINE. ugh like FL's bestie at work x ML's doctor bestie??? i thought they were gonna play that out at the dinner group they had but then it was SKIPPED> WASTED POTENTIAL.
4. nothing rly unique about this drama tbh

Read More

Shine on My Awkwardness

Haven't finished the drama, but for the first 9 episodes there's really only one word for my experience: Awkward.

It's not just that the characters were awkward, because I actually did not mind that so much. The main characters were mostly kids freshly graduated from college, and having been there myself, I appreciated depicting more of the faux pas that happens with young, innocent, well intentioned impulsiveness. The drama itself also appears to understand when someone said something really weird and off-key, so that all seemed deliberate and with purpose, so in my books, that's acceptable. But I found myself questioning the writing and the writing process, because THAT seemed awkward too. It's one thing if something embarrassing happens because this was a personality trait, like a character is just really shy and lacks the sharp tongue necessary to resolve situations rapidly, or is insecure and lacks the confidence to stand up for themselves, but the characters keep getting themselves into weird situations and misunderstandings that feel completely unnecessary. In the beginning, FL had a crush on the SML. She was bold enough to confess first, but for some reason he didn't actually answer? And upon learning that her roommate also had a crush on SML, she acted all awkward and regretful about it, leading to these long, painful sequences where FL and SML would stare at each other wordlessly over and over again. What did the roommate having a crush on SML have to do with anything if FL confessed without knowing and he should have answered? How do you have such a conversation without a resolution one way or another? Did the writers not know how conversations work? If SML actually liked the roommate back, then be like your old confident self who confessed first and cut things off, stop pining after him like a loser. If he didn't requite the roommate's feelings, WHAT DOES THE ROOMMATE HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING? Why didn't he just answer? If he didn't reply then he doesn't like you, move on exactly like you would if he liked your roommate back. Hello? It's such a bizarre way to land in this limbo state, both look like idiots and it's so hard for me to believe I'm enduring all these scenes for any good reason. What kind of logic did the writer use to explain this situation? Each time it comes up, I'm not sympathetic toward the characters, I'm just baffled.

And then even weirder was the ML, who's a neurosurgeon; I don't know exactly how old ML is supposed to be and whether this was addressed somewhere I'm missing, but folks, Chinese medical school lasts at least 5 years, which is 1 year longer than your average uni, and that's assuming you don't aim for a PhD, which ML apparently had, so he needed to have been in school for at least 7-8 years. Then you enter residency; first year of any residency is always the year where you're mostly clicking charts, prescribing Tylenol to inpatients, and observing from the back in the OR. If you've proven yourself and the attending is in a good mood, MAYBE you get to retract, which isn't really relevant in something like neurosurgery; at most, you might be able to close with sutures at the end of the case. Neurosurgery residency in the US takes 7 years, I guarantee in China it wouldn't take any less time to complete, which means it would be a few years before you're trusted to do a full surgery on a patient's brain front to back. Not being a neurosurgeon myself, I'd wager end of 2nd year, beginning 3rd year at the earliest, and only very simple, short cases; honestly I really doubt a resident would be trusted to do a full case that early. Still, let's say ML is a genius and he defied all convention and really did pick things up that fast. So at the time of ML and FL's meeting, FL would have been 22 years old, ML should have been at least 29 or older, because he was referred to as a PhD, he was shown performing an 8 hr surgery as a primary, and then having a car accident that damaged his dexterity after which he was out of surgery for a year. Now I'm not talking about the age gap, I'm talking about ML, despite being a surgeon and at least 7 years older than FL, being weird enough to blame FL for not showing up to see him at the hospital after his car accident despite never even having met before? Even a 10yo wouldn't be this irrational, and this guy's supposed to be a neurosurgeon and the hero of the story? Furthermore, his characterization also makes zero sense; he is depicted as a guy who silently angsts while glaring at FL for her seeming abandonment a year ago when she clearly had no idea what he's upset about. The dude's a SURGEON. What self-respecting surgeon is able to shut up about themselves and whatever is on their minds? Yes, they can be socially awkward, but not because they don't say enough! If anything they're absolute divas, especially if they do NEUROSURGERY, I defy any of you to find a surgical specialty more proud of how brilliant they are than BRAIN SURGEONS. These people make decisions about whether or not to cut your head open, they're not going to waver about saying what they want to say, and they're certainly not going to care whether you want to hear it. So this whole weird dynamic of ML misunderstanding FL for several episodes straight and not being able to clear things up because he has selective emotionally-triggered mutism immediately knocked me right out of the immersion. It's fine if 22yo college grads who are still wet behind the ears don't know how to express themselves, but an almost 30yo former neurosurgeon is just pathetic. "Maybe he suffered brain damage from his car accident", you might say. Well, then maybe he should focus on his brain damage instead of hooking up with his employee. And I won't even go into how ludicrous it is for him to sit with his former colleagues in FL's room when she was admitted at the hospital, discussing other patient cases like some weirdo. What do they think they are, neurologists? Did they forget that workstations exist where they don't need to discuss private medical information in front of those who aren't part of the care team? Anyway, if you don't know how neurosurgeons behave, don't make your character a neurosurgeon. If you don't understand how 30yo adults behave, don't write about 30yo adults. There are plenty of much more natural, realistic series of events that can lead to awkward tension between two people, if you're not able to design a believable context then you shouldn't be writing this kind of plot. It's just so clear that these writers don't actually understand the topics and people they're writing about. I'm not dropping this show because it's awkward, I'm dropping it because it so clearly did not have to be and this is what makes it more agonizing than anything else. If I'm constantly wondering why the writers designed the show this way, chances are many of you would find this show more insufferable than enjoyable.

Read More