Shine on Me

Cute splice of life drama

Where do I start? This is was such a cute drama. Everyone did such an amazing job with their roles. I smiled, I squealed, I blush, and I laugh. The casting is perfect.

I am not a huge fan of Zhao Jin Mai nor Song Wei Long — don't get me wrong, I do watch their dramas, but I don't watch it because of them. I watch it for the value of the drama.

With that being said, I really did enjoy this drama. It is such a sweet drama.

Nie Xiguang — she really is the "blazing sunlight" that lit up Lin Yu Sen's forest. She was cute, but she also stood her ground. She was a little naive in the beginning but once she graduated college and started working, she grew up. I feel that among everyone who graduated with her, she grew up the most. She learned how to value herself and find someone who is most compatible with her rather than someone who dims her light.

Lin Yu Sen — he was really the "ideal" boyfriend. Someone who has both IQ and EQ. He was mature when pursuing Nie Xiguang. He never pressured her to be with him, instead, he just showed up when she needed him most. He was cold to her in the beginning, but it never really lasted that long. He always treated her with respect and love. Even in the midst of the misunderstanding. The only thing is that I would love to see a little jealousy from him. I mean, a jealous CEO is the cutest thing ever.

Zhuang Xu — I don't think of as a villain at all. In fact, I pity him. Timing was never right for him when it comes to Nie Xiguang. He liked her, but he felt that they were world apart and he couldn't reach her so he waited until he can reach her to be with her, but he waited a little too long. She had already found someone who can embrace all of her. Like she said to him, he took her feelings for him for granted thinking that she will always be there when he was ready. He never thought that she would find someone else and he relied on her "promise" that she made. I wished he was more direct with her and I was really hoping he ends up with Chris. I thought that Chris as a good match for him.

Ye Rong — sighs. To me, she's the villain. She literally made Xiguang her "rival" in her mind for no reason. She lied to Xiguang and took advantage of her feelings for Zhuang Xu to make herself look better. She confronted Xiguang without any proof and never apologized. She acted smugly because of her insecurities. Honestly, I am glad that she finally realized that she is far below Xiguang even without Xiguang using her family's influence.

Nie Cheng Yuan, Ma Nianyuan, and Qian Fangpang — these three really belonged together. Nie Cheng Yuan really is a horrible father. He would rather believed Ma Nianyuan over his own daughter. I hated him. He goes in my book of worse parents in C-drama land. I am glad that Nie Xiguang finally put him in his place. For Qian Fangpang, she deserved everything that came to her at the end. She was acting all smug and everything, she deserves to lose everything. Ma Nianyuan — for her, I kind of feel bad. She just followed her mother but I don't feel too bad for her. She actually deserves being scammed since she presented herself like a heiress.

Xiguang's mother, grandparents, friends at Guang Yu, aunt, uncle, and Jiang Rui — I adored them and their support. They really helped Xiguang shined. They allowed her to be herself and allowed her to grow and shine. They were never jealous of her nor dimmed her light. I was glad that she was able to find a group of people who loved her and supported her.

Why did I take half points away?

Well, the simple answer is, that they spent so long in the "pursuing/liking" era that they didn't not spend enough time on the "dating" era. I wanted to see them date more. Also, as I stated under Zhuang Xu, I wish they have him a redemption arc or a partner. I didn't like how things ended with him and Chris. I take that back, they did give him a redemption arc, but was that really a redemption? I mean, he finally understood what Xiguang went through with the false accusation, but he didn't even apologize for her. He almost did, but he didn't. I know that Zhuang Xu wasn't everyone's favorite, but for me, he was just like any ordinary guy with insecurities. His family situation really made him feel like he was not good enough for someone like Xiguang, who has everything. But I do give him credit for pushing her to apply for more jobs, rather than just using her family's connection and staying in Wuxi. With what he said to Xiguang, we got to see her grow into a confident, strong woman. Rather than the lazy and naive girl from the start.

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Now thats how you end a modern drama ! - It was Indeed Shining on Me

The first few episodes felt as if the ML was the SML and vice versa. I was like… where is the ML? He had hardly appeared. But as I kept watching, I understood that it was relevant to the story. The FL had to move on in order to be with the ML. She was healing her broken heart. It was a slow burn, but it was also not—because the emotional connection was always there, quietly building.

I hated her college friends. I loved how she cut them off in the most diplomatic way after the interview incident—and even during the patch-up. The friends were like, “Forgive us,” and Xiguang was like, “Yeah, sure, honest mistake,” but really, inside her mind, she was like, “Bye, Felicia,” and cut them off for good after graduation.

And Zhang Xu—if this were a costume drama, he would have turned evil, and I would have happily enjoyed his death on screen.

One of the best chemistry I’ve seen between couples in modern dramas. All their scenes felt like a hug to me. It was Shining on Me. Sunshine and Wood.

I wish I had a cousin like Jiang Rui. Such a cutie pie—and he was a brother when he needed to be.

Everyone got closure in the end. They should have mentioned what the FL’s father was doing in the future scenes, though. I loved the fact that they dedicated an entire episode to showing their post-marriage life. Usually, it’s just three minutes with a cute scene involving the kid and the couple.

The OST was sooo beautiful—completely stuck in my head.

Overall, it’s a 9/10 for me.

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chemistry I love this i want this couple again next drama

chemistry I love this i want this couple again next drama both are so cute looking very amazing best chemistry great performance love it story is amazing i cant wait these two see again in next drama i hope we can see them again very soon i love the music acting all of them plz these two pair cast agin make another drama soon love from india 🇮🇳♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

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When the Morning Sun Meets a Forest, The Right Pieces Fall into Place.

This drama was the first modern one of SWL that I had seen as before it was only some costume ones which were hit or miss. Here though, he nailed his character. I know ZJM from several other shows and knew she would do well. I also knew several of the supporting characters like the SML or LWM and others. This was a story of when the morning sun met a very green forest, the right pieces would fall into place.

Pros: Being a work of Gu Man, who had a lot of say in her works, as she was always the screenwriter as well as apparently selecting the leads and others herself which was a great thing as we saw in YAMG as well. All of her work have been successful in one way or another. In this story, you had two people destined to meet each but due to a misunderstanding orchestrated by a wicked person (we had several here), the ML played by SWL or LYS, a one in a million protégé neurosurgeon got into a car accident and lost his ability to be a surgeon so he became a businessman instead in his family's rather massive and successful empire in the PV industry. He was angry because he thought the person who had invited him somewhere and after his accident ghosted him was a young lady he fell for at first sight, herself the daughter of a wealthy businessman in a different field. That young lady our FL or NXG however wasn't obviously responsible and didn't even know he existed. She was a college student elsewhere with a crush of her own on the SML or ZX whom I gave the nickname "hunk of junk/lack of balls" to. Though she confessed to hunk of junk/lack of balls, he rejected her, because even though he himself liked her but because of his inferiority complex of her being rich and him poor along with the fact that he seemed completely oblivious to how their mutual "friends" treated her, her roommates; once right before graduation letting others accuse her of letting an important interview call for one of them be forgotten by her without any proof other than the ring leader aka toxic chick who along with her wing woman both liking him just came at her. It was later discovered and admitted that another girl had been in the room when the call came through and she was the one who forgot plus at the company itself, though the company made the call, they didn't write it down. So a lot of people dropped the ball but only when the girl remembered, told the college committee and NXG investigated as well as hunk of junk's senior sister (who worked at the company) came forward and apologized to him on the phone only but not to the involved parties, was NXG's name cleared; hunk of junk knew the truth but never said a word. Only the two girls NXG was friends with ever truly apologized.

Because he and toxic chick knew each other since childhood, she used every opportunity to shove that fact into NXG's face and basically imply that they kind of were together or he would always do things for her most of which were lies. NXG texted him about it apologizing for the confession and that she never meant to steal him away but he never replied basically in her mind confirming those suspicions. Their last two years, he spent either never saying a word, sending her mixed signals with his actions like the thesis help attempt, or plain putting her down with his words. In other words, he expected her to be telepathic to his thoughts and feelings. Once they graduated, and she and her cousin JR, went on a little 2 month vacation to Europe which they called a study tour (I'll talk about cheap faux tour in the cons); which was somehow misconstrued to her studying abroad thanks to the cousin's housekeeper telling hunk of junk that when he came by the house looking for her.

I will say that Z "hunk of junk" X played by LWM whom I've previously seen in a tiny role in Moonlit Reunion but more memorably in FOF, was the most complex character in the entire show. Also, he's probably LWM's most different character from both others that he’s done and himself IRL, though only starting in c-ent 3 years ago. He absolutely nailed the part of a guy, oblivious in college of the girl he liked feelings choosing to stay quiet or “resist; hold back” as he pointed out during his tantrum as opposed to saying something back like "wait for me" or "I'm not ready just yet". ZX always thought she would be there, single waiting for him always taking her for granted (as she pointed out to him during his tantrum and her just spelling everything out for him saying he was lying to himself, that with his IQ and EQ, he didn't understand obvious things she said and did, because he didn't want to understand, that he had many opportunities but failed each one and why LYS got her was because he had openly told her he liked her and when she said she liked someone else, he didn't have a problem with that, but would let her pick. He treated her like an adult and pursued her showing her what real love and open communication going both ways looked like) until it was way too late. All of the push and pull between and inside him was shown in his micro-expressions and how only when he started working and came across a situation where bad rumors were spread about him and a few of his coworkers including one of the women, how he recalled the frame job and toxic chick's constant bashing and belittling of NXG in college and how she must have felt after hearing Chris' words; how he nearly sent NXG an “I'm sorry” but instead decided to sit in the darkness and cry. This was after the tantrum episode. Everything was about him and he didn't seem to understand how others felt until he experienced it for himself or someone he was close with now as an adult spoke about it. Though on the contradictory side, he wasn't a complete narcissist as he was able to make genuine good friends; two of whom he later started a successful business with, he himself got that status he always wanted through hard work, and he was able to express gratitude like he did to LYS for helping his friend/colleague after the latter experienced a medical emergency on the slopes. And that's why I'm proud of LWM because he was able to pull off a rather complex character in a show that didn't require that much, if at all.

Now when ML met FL as he downgraded himself from the main office in Shanghai to Suzhou it was half because of the misunderstanding and also because he still had feelings for her. Their start wasn't smooth as he moved her from her department to his and gave her extra work to do in a way to give her a hard time but also to be close to her and get to know her. He was quite puzzled that she didn't remember him and each time that came out in conversation he grew cold and distant toward her and assigned her more work. It wasn't until she landed in the hospital after falling from the balcony and him catching her and venting his frustration at her in the hospital though not completely saying the entire thing and her saying that he was the reason for her bad luck and crying plus later on one of her coworkers telling him how often she got hurt at the factory where she didn't have to be but he made her work there during his as she called it "bipolar" moments, that he finally called a truce between them though she had no idea why. He confessed to her not long after that after running into the university classmates along with toxic chick (who's fake apology and implication of her and hunk of junk being together; who was standing behind her and was only shocked when the study abroad to study tour misunderstanding was cleared up) and hunk of junk, he rescued her from also giving them the impression that they were together causing hunk of junk to panic, get wasted, say really rude things to her, making her cry for the last time over him.

After that, the show just showed two people getting to know each other properly and spending time together as we also learned of both families dysfunctions, his father died when he was young in a different country after he was set up by an uncle or two for a mistake within the conglomerate and was shipped out to work in some remote location where a war broke out. LYS' mom never got over what her family did and moved to Switzerland while letting ML grow up and go to school while living with his paternal grandparents. Mom met and married a wonderful man. FL's mom divorced her bastard husband and FL's father for cheating and the entire series shows him and his first love and her daughter living in a villa. That daughter pretending to be FL is the wicked person spoken about who liked LYS and was the reason for him being on that highway and then ghosting him in the hospital later. When the truth came out, LYS was stunned and distraught understandably, and took a few days leave to travel around for both himself and work. After receiving the letter with the entire story from his side of how they met or when he first saw her and her remembering that day as well, she called him and told him to stop over in her hometown on the way back to Suzhou. They went to walk around the cherry blossoms which was kind of a full circle from two years before when the fake invited him to do the same, and this was when they--both real people--officially got together.

The rest you'll have to watch, but I'd like to point out that like YAMG both mom's of the leads were amazing people who knew each other from a while back so the ski trip other then both moms, also included FL's uncle, aunt, and semi annoying cousin JR, and ML's stepfather was a very happy one filled with love and fun; LYS with his surprise to NXG made the trip even more memorable. Hunk of junk and coworkers ended up vacationing up there as well; didn’t dampen the spirits too much (though it was his younger bro that set him up). NXG's paternal grandparents were also great people; they could barely stand their asshole son; especially after learning what he essentially allowed gold digger first love and fake daughter to do, after NXG laid it all on the table for him and both mom and grandma found out the despicable actions of all three and how he treated both his only actual daughter and LYS. ML's grandfather was alright, he learned a hard lesson himself finally understanding his wrongdoing with ML's father. Other great people were ML's niece (who was ultimately named successor of the big company) and nephew. Having non-toxic family members is rare in cdrama land. Also NXG's coworkers/friends were night and day from her college roommates. They were always supportive and accepting and fun to be around. ZX's coworkers were also nice people.

OSTs were my favorite especially the one in English called "You Are the Light of my Love." The desert scenes were great and costumes as usual per modern drama; I liked it more when FL started dressing like a young lady and not a kid.

Cons: Whoever thought putting so much propaganda into a romantic drama was a good idea, didn't think things through. At first it wasn't a big deal, here and there in a conversation, one could brush it off but than in a college lecture the leads went to, that started talking about their industry and than proceeded to vilify the West and go into politics before trying to tie things up with a pretty little bow with "all countries in the world under the sun will prosper." It was ridiculous and unnecessary. Afterwards at the end of the series it was all countries bad and China the leading in everything technological especially last year and I'm like y'all blind or something? This is a romantic drama not a lesson in business politics. Or the off the cuff remarks that Mr. Zhang would suffer in America because the food and atmosphere is bad/different. I felt like that was a slap in the face to every Chinese American because there's plenty of Chinese food in every city not to mention places like NYC and San Fran having Chinatowns taking up whole portions of the cities where you literally feel like you went to their country. It's not like Mr. Zhang's son lived in the middle of a cornfield in Ohio, for Pete's sake! Stupid.

This show had plenty of money but apparently not enough to even have CGI of European cities on NXG's and JR's study tour that they had to use a green screen and stickers or posters. Continuing, it felt very disheartening when every single evil doer got a slap on the wrist instead of real consequences; bastard father after NXG read him the riot act and grandma and mom found out the extent of his stupidity and harm, just had the benign tumor removed, but though it had supposedly done some harm to his hearing and facial movement; the actor never acted it out so it was a loophole and his business never suffered like in the book. He was still as arrogant as ever. Gold digger and fake daughter were presumably kicked out of the villa with some money intact but no one went to jail and we never actually saw that. Asshole uncle and his son; were allowed to continue being in the company or one at least and both retained their wealth. Toxic chick quit her job and left the city; that was it. None of them got any real punishment. We were all waiting for karma and she forgot about them; I felt that was lax writing; two screenwriters so whomever wrote it, didn't do it well.

While we got a strange proposal and an equally strange wedding (just them two, no family or friends seen anywhere); the time jumps in the last episode didn't make sense especially the last two. One after 10 years and one after 3. Why wait a whole decade after getting married to have a child? And why jump 3 years into the future, just to show a walking creepy as hell robot and cars that can do everything but fly when everyone knows not one country on earth is that advanced nor will be in 2-3 years. It just didn't jive with the rest of the show. Showing a family of 3 with the cute daughter was great, also exiting out ZX with his coworkers was appropriate but the majority disappeared before the wedding and were never seen again, with no explanation given. Things could have been done better at the end with that especially given how important they were to the rest of the show and the leads.

Would I recommend it? I absolutely would. Despite the cons and there were enough to definitely pose questions, pros outweighed them by far. This was a great lesson in how to have the right type of relationship and the right type of friends as well as whom to cherish as family and whom to disregard.

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A love story of Trials,Rebond and pure Attraction!

so this is my first time,writing a review in a long while,and also my third modern Cdrama after a long time and I just want to say I'm very much grateful for this series. It is a well curated series with so much depth,Dramaatic side characters(in a good way) and very natural chemistry. Gu man who personally handpicked the both lead actors have done a great job and her writing has yet entered the best idol literary works in her history of great novel curation.

I especially want to Commend the Lead actors Song weilong and Zhao jinmai for doing such a great job holding the Story together from ep1-36,although the CGI was not so great,and the makeup sometimes was distracting and also the 2Ml had more screen time than the Male lead in some situations,it didn't take away the beauty of this drama in any form,and the storyline is perfect from beginning to the end!!

it's safe to say that Lin yusen the Green forest ML is nowhere to be found in person! but I hope that more men after tuning into this drama will Learn to treat women differently and show them that love is worth it from all angles!

Lastly,I want to say a Big thank you to SOM family who sticked through this drama and ensured a happy viewer ship and coordination throughout despite the few harsh criticisms and straight up hate on both actors. Big congratulations to the success of this drama and I hope new viewers get to enjoy all the happiness,suspense and butterflies we felt while watching this show!! My best drama yet!!😍

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Same thing but done better and for a modern audience

The main reason I am giving this such a high score is because I watched almost 27 hours of content without getting bored. Instead of feeling tired, I just kept wanting to watch the next and next episode. That alone says a lot.

Female Lead and Character Growth:
Secondly, I really liked how it went against the cliché. Instead of a weak FL or a strong-to-weak FL, we get an FL who starts with a weak personality but gradually grows into someone who holds her head high and becomes a boss lady.
What I appreciated most is that the change was not sudden. It was a gradual acceptance. She starts thinking, I do not want to rely on my parents, I want to do something on my own. You can see the seeds of that mindset from the very beginning, and later they bloom into a beautiful flower. That progression felt natural and satisfying.

Music
I would give the music a really high rating. The songs fit the drama well, and I especially loved the intro.
That said, the last episode ticked me off a bit.
Spoilers: they played all four songs back to back with a compilation of what the characters were doing for almost 20 minutes. That felt excessive.
Still, overall the music was really good.

Visuals and Cinematography
The VFX was pretty good. At times it was blatantly obvious they were using green screen, but other times the camera angles were perfect. During emotionally intense moments, the framing of shots was golden and really elevated the scenes.

Story and Ending
The story is pretty cliché in a sense, but the clichés are well hidden, so it never feels too predictable. I was also glad they did not use the annoying tropes like we met in childhood, or the MC having trauma that the FL heals with saint-like tendencies.
Towards the last episode, I genuinely wondered what they were going to do because they basically wrapped everything up by episode 35. Then episode 36 happened and I was humorously surprised.
Spoilers: first we get a 2 year jump, then a 10 year jump, then another 3 year jump. I was like, what is happening. It was completely left field compared to my usual expectations of dramas like this. Normally you get a wedding scene with all characters appearing. Instead these guys just speedran the wedding. I definitely would have preferred that. But honestly, because of how unexpected and funny it was compared to where my expectations were, I give it a pass.
I also entirely do not get the character of the SML. You like someone, then you berate them because their parents are richer than yours. You take the side of a childhood friend you do not even like against the person you claim to like. Then you come back saying it is unfair because you missed opportunities with her. Brother what was that.
Other than him, everything was fine. Not perfect, but fine. I did feel like there was no strong secondary cast. They were all just going in and out. First the college group, then the unnecessary step-daughter arc which never got a conculsion, then the office colleagues who did not matter and just became tag-alongs for the FL. So yeah, the secondary cast except the FLs family was basically non-existent, I really loved the charcater of jang rui, and the actor he did a a really good job at potraying this fun charcater.

Final Thoughts
Strong binge value, satisfying character growth, great music, good cinematography, and a story that plays with clichés instead of being trapped by them. Not perfect, but memorable and enjoyable throughout.

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A love that comforts you like a warm blanket in the harshest and darkest winter.

This happens to my very first review in MDL even after 6 years of watching cdramas because if any drama deserved appreciation more than what it already has right now - It is this one.

**Be aware the review might contain spoilers !**

**Overall** : This drama can be called as the *blueprint* on how modern idol romance dramas should be made. There is nothing new, nothing mind-blowing, no heart wrenching angst to keep you hooked and definitely not a dramatic love story. The love of Nie Xiguang and Lin Yusen is very ordinary and yet ever-present, the kind of companionship and warmth that you would long for in your everyday life and that is exactly why this drama shines among many others of this genre. With an impeccable cast delivering in their acting and chemistry, a solid and comforting plot to drive the story forward and beautiful camera language that tells the story on its own - Shine On Me is your perfect winter companion.

**Plot** : For any drama to entertain throughout its airing time, it needs a solid script and where can you find a modern idol romance writer better than Gu Man? She strikes once again! You see a girl (Nie Xiguang) being shamed for being brave in her love and your heart aches right then for her. For a love as blazing as her to be met with only coldness and indifference, it pierces your heart as it does to her. Zhuang Xu, her first love, he was not a bad person, he just was not right for her. She has always deserved better. The dialogues in this drama hits you and then stays with you forever. This drama is a perfect example of how you do not need a story with twists and turns causing adrenaline rush, all you need is a story that makes you fall in love with the 'love' they convey. It is not just the main leads, I cannot emphasize how much this drama showed the power of woman in business. The male lead's arc was also equally exciting. If every piece of a puzzle falls in piece just perfectly together, it has to be this drama!

**Screenplay/Direction** : There is not many dramas where the camera language is intentional and the story is told just through frames but once again, Shine on Me did it better than any! There was a scene that beautifully encapsulated the entire plot within a few shots -- Xiguang chasing after the shadow of Zhuang Xu, knowing that he has come to the place she is working at, but as she ran and ran towards him, he was only walking forward. The moment she stopped, he stopped and looked back - they happened to miss each other and he walked forward. But when she stopped and turned back, she found Lin Yusen standing right behind her. By stopping and turning back, she found the person who has walked into her life steadily and became her constant sun.

**Acting** : Zhao Jinmai quite literally becomes a sun in your darkest winter! She has long since shed the skin of every other role and when you see her on screen now, it gives you an out of world experience making you believe Nie Xiguang is real. She is real. This drama made me want to check every work of Zhao Jinmai, I'm that obsessed! Song Weilong does a decent job and most definitely improves throughout the drama. In the beginning I did find his line delivery and acting a bit awkward but he quickly picks up and presents a Lin Yusen who is believable and everybody's ideal companion to walk the life with. Every other actor on screen has made sure that we never feel disconnected from their characters even for a moment.

In a nutshell - If there is one cdrama that you really cannot miss out on, it is Shine On Me and none other.

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A warm, complete romance that stays with you

I still haven’t fully moved on from Shine On Me, and honestly, I don’t want to. Starting the new year with this drama genuinely felt special. From the casting to the emotional pacing, this was one of those rare modern C-dramas that felt complete, comforting, and deeply satisfying.

First of all, the casting was perfect. Shine On Me would not have worked the same way without Zhao Jinmai as Nie Xiguang and Song Weilong as Lin Yusen. Before airing, some people doubted their chemistry — but they proved everyone wrong. Their chemistry wasn’t loud or flashy; it was natural, quiet, and deeply believable. The kind that makes you smile without realizing it.

Zhao Jinmai was perfect as NXG. She felt incredibly real — naturally cute without being childish, gentle yet firm when it mattered. Song Weilong surprised me in the best way. As Lin Yusen, he wasn’t just handsome (though yes, the glasses deserve their own credit), but emotionally present. He played a man who listens, comforts, and supports without trying to “fix” everything — and that made him stand out so much.

What really made this drama special for me was how healthy the main relationship was. There was no unnecessary breakup, no last-minute character assassination, no dragged misunderstandings. Their relationship progressed slowly, but meaningfully. Even before they officially “dated,” it already felt like they were together — just without the label. Small details said everything: NXG subtly shaking her hands when she wants him to hold them, and LYS immediately responding every time. That kind of consistency is rare and precious in dramas.

The Changbei arc was easily my favorite. It was warm, peaceful, and visually beautiful — a break from stress, full of family interactions, snow, and emotional closeness. It made the romance feel lived-in rather than performative. Watching them with their families made their bond feel real and grounded.

The symbolism throughout the drama was also handled beautifully. One of the most meaningful moments was the red beans — a quiet but powerful gesture that represented commitment, love, and choosing each other completely. That scene alone said more than a hundred verbal confessions could have.

Yes, the kisses sparked a lot of discussion. Were some short? Sure. Was the camerawork sometimes frustrating? Definitely. But what mattered more was that the chemistry was already established long before the kisses happened. I’d rather have restrained kisses backed by strong emotional buildup than empty “passionate” scenes with no foundation. And by the later episodes, we were definitely fed.

Another thing I appreciated was how character arcs were completed. Even characters I disliked (and there were many) were handled in a way that felt intentional. Karma came quietly, not dramatically — which actually made it more realistic. NXG’s father, Zhuang Xu, the mistress, the workplace antagonists — all of them reflected different forms of emotional immaturity, and the drama never rewarded that behavior.

The ending was exactly what I wanted: calm, warm, and conclusive. No open wounds. No lingering bitterness. Just the feeling that these characters would continue living their lives happily beyond the screen. Watching the sun set in the final moments felt symbolic — Shine On Me didn’t end loudly, it ended gently.

Overall, this drama reminded me why I love C-dramas. The plot was cohesive, the characters were emotionally consistent, and the ending respected both the story and the audience. It wasn’t perfect, but it was whole — and that’s rare.

I had such a positive watching experience, and I’m genuinely grateful for it.

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it truly shines beautifully

My highly anticipated Shine On Me... thank you for being the last sense of warmth of my 2025 and the first ray of light of my 2026!

As I said, I highly anticipated this drama from the beginning so it could only go insanely well or insanely bad. Luckily, it never once disappointed me despite some annoying side characters – they only made me root for my beloved characters even more; it's part of life and part of the story.

Song Weilong and Zhao Jinmai are the perfect Lin Yusen and Nie Xiguang. I loved them more each episode. They are dramatic without being over the top, they are funny in a way that feels effortlessly and they seem to truly like and respect each other which, believe me, it's really important for the dynamic of their characters. Once they start their relationship you really feel like they're a couple, even in small details.

As for the story, their plot begins with a misunderstanding that doesn't take long to be halfway cleared but even before that their dynamic is not annoying, in fact it feels kinda amusing. The story mainly revolves around the main couple and their ways of learning more about each other, themselves and learning to let go. If you're going into Shine On Me with an open heart, you can definitely learn a thing or two or at least reflect about life related stuff you might already know. Most of the support characters are really nice, even making me wish to see more of some of them. Some are just painfully annoying but we all encounter some of those in real life, right? We can survive them.

Some aspects of their professional life might be boring for some, but honestly I wouldn't give that too much attention and it kinda makes you understand their personal growth as well by the end. The writers really put an effort in ending the drama in a satisfying way for the fans of the couple (once again, remember this is a romance drama!) that actually made me (happily) surprised!

The visuals (despite some funny cgi, but to be honest if you're not new to cdramas you've seen worse) are beautiful and you can see the drama crew really put a lot of thought in every scene, especially those that are meant to be highlighted. The original soundtrack is now among my favorite ones ever (thumbs up for Zhang Hao he did AMAZING)!!!!!

All of that to say thank you Shine On Me for being with me for this couple of weeks and yes, everyone should check it out if it fits the genre you usually like to watch. Don't expect excessive drama, power struggles, lots of action scenes or anything like that. There's a reason everything in this drama revolves around finding light and it broadcasted in winter (holidays season even).

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Truly shined on me

I don't even know where to start but this, this drama is perfection. I was annoyed that the first few episodes are about Xiguang and Zhuang Xu but as I watched it slowly, I gradually understand that their plot makes sense well on the side of Xiguang, I was truly want Zhuang Xu to just move on after the wedding scene, but it make sense, he did regret it. Moving on, Lin Yusen what a green flag, or forest as his name. His character is so written well, the motive of him getting Xiguang to his department, to slowly know her better to the time he moved on and making an exception but then when he found out the scenes during his trip was amazing, it felt that he healed twice. Nie Xiguang, what a character she is. She isn't spoiled, she isn't spoon-fed but a hard worker and eventually love her work. I like all the scenes she's in Zhao Jinmai did an incredible job portraying her, from the first time she got problems with her college classmate to how she stood up to people who are older and stand on her ground. Me and Yusen hooked on her.
I like the flow of the story, every episode is truly needed to be watched. Of course not everything is perfect, even though I said its perfection. I don't like the overly use of lens flare but everything else top notch.
The settings and music are also good, I like every location they shoot it adds a unique corporate but also dating style every time Xiguang and Yusen eat.
Last episode is the best episode, I like a full on family episode dedicated for them. It felt that they truly are meant for each other, the wait of Yusen for Xiguang to slowly have feelings, the work they did for the company, the problems they face with each other. It just so good.
Also all supporting cast are well casted, I like Xiguang's cousin, her female friends in work, even her college classmates, they truly hooked me on hating them lol.
Last notes, this drama is a MUST WATCH.

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Relatable and swoon-worthy

It was just my type of drama. Perfect slowburn with sizzling chemistry and believable characters. I simply love it when the whole drama doesn't force the main leads together as if these two characters are the whole reason for its existence. It gave them a proper time and let it brew as slowly as possible to have a perfect fragrance.
There were many topics that were touched by the story that one could relate with. Rat race for careers, sycophant colleagues, weath pressure and of course most innate one- jealousy. They also touched the point how usually rich kids are perceived by the world. Some simply hate them for being rich (as if anybody has a choice in it), others see them lazy/unworthy of competition because " they are born with silver spoon so they are good for nothing". It is good to see this perspective as well.
(I wonder if it is going to be with the recent Chinese censorship of showcasing less delusional world to its netizen which creates unrealistic standards where one has to be extremely rich to be happy mindset which is ruining the society and I also think it is about time.) This show has definitely given me many impactful scenes so far. After watching numerous dramas, there comes a point when you can easily anticipate a scene especially, in Cdramas, like what is going to happen next and the fact that in this one they just made it look so normal nothing like all those cliched scenes but something that could or would happen in reality, that is something that made me love this drama even more. As for other characters, I am just not gonna hate the SML he had his reasons and a definite character arc, but the actor was so good in arising conflicting feelings in viewers. Similarly the other female characters. If you hate a character, definitely they are doing a fine job in acting. I loved all the cast (I was really hoping for a drama that could bring Song Wei Long out of the shadows. He was never able to properly convince me with his acting before but this one is definitely his best for me, acting wise). What can I say more, dialogues, cinematography and the music...so dreamy. You will definitely fall in love with this drama for its simplicity and genuine character arcs. The only nitpick would be it's length. It could do just fine with less episodes.

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My first cdrama for 2026 and its a 10000000000000000/10 for me ??

#ShineOnMe goes beyond the typical slow-burn drama. Their love story is incredibly special to me because I have always been drawn to calm, gentle, steady, and unwavering type of love. The kind of drama you can return to when the world feels too heavy, like the warmest blanket in the coldest winter. Its a story that gently reminds you to believe in love again, one that gives you the courage to stand up once more, not just for love but also for your dreams.

Xiguang and Yusen’s story is built on mutual respect, patience, endless support, and sincere love. There are no demands and nothing is rushed, just something that quietly grows over time. The kind of love that softly shines. This drama may be simple, but it has left the deepest impact on my life.

The past two weeks felt like a fever dream—it went by so fast, yet every moment stayed with me. And now, as this chapter gently comes to a close, their story remains deeply embedded in my heart. Thank you for making #ShineOnMe such a beautiful and unforgettable experience. I will always treasure every moment I shared with all of you 🩷🌸


Thank You #SongWeilong & #ZhaoJinmai for being our Lin Yusen and Nie Xiguang 🌳🍉

I will miss you so much my 4951 cp ❤️‍🩹

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