Strong Beginning, Potential Wasted by Editing and Pacing Issues
Shine On Me starts on a very strong note. Many departments are genuinely well done—the story is engaging, the characters are established clearly, and the emotional setup works. The early episodes are especially enjoyable, pulling you in with solid writing and a promising narrative direction. At its best, the drama shows real potential.
However, the biggest issue lies in the execution, particularly the editing. It is easily one of the weakest aspects of the show. Several episodes feel unnecessarily stretched, and two to three episodes could have been trimmed without losing any impact. The final episode, in particular, drags far more than it should. With tighter editing, the drama could have been far more effective and impactful.
The VFX is another noticeable drawback. The green-screen work is poorly executed and, at times, unintentionally laughable. Using green screen isn’t the problem—using it carelessly is. In today’s time, budget constraints can’t really justify such subpar visual execution. These technical flaws may seem small, but they slowly chip away at the viewing experience.
The performances in the last episode feel noticeably forced. The characters are meant to be in their late 30s, yet neither their appearance nor their behavior convincingly reflects that. It doesn’t align with the characterization built earlier, making it feel as though the characters haven’t aged at all. The interactions involving the child also come across as awkward and unnatural, which further weakens the emotional impact.
The drama would have benefited greatly from giving more focus to the supporting characters we’re already familiar with. Instead, several scenes are stretched for five to six minutes simply to fill runtime. The lack of substantial content becomes obvious, the pacing suffers, and what starts as dialogue-driven storytelling quickly turns monotonous.
I may sound harsh, but that’s largely because the latter episodes significantly affected my overall experience and rating. A drama needs to start strong, hold its ground in the middle, and end on a powerful note that stays with you. Unfortunately, Shine On Me falters at the end. The last couple of episodes go totally flat—predictable and underwhelming. The final episode, in particular, disappointed me in almost every aspect.
That said, I did enjoy the drama, especially the earlier episodes. It just didn’t meet the standard or potential I had hoped for, considering how promising the beginning was.
However, the biggest issue lies in the execution, particularly the editing. It is easily one of the weakest aspects of the show. Several episodes feel unnecessarily stretched, and two to three episodes could have been trimmed without losing any impact. The final episode, in particular, drags far more than it should. With tighter editing, the drama could have been far more effective and impactful.
The VFX is another noticeable drawback. The green-screen work is poorly executed and, at times, unintentionally laughable. Using green screen isn’t the problem—using it carelessly is. In today’s time, budget constraints can’t really justify such subpar visual execution. These technical flaws may seem small, but they slowly chip away at the viewing experience.
The performances in the last episode feel noticeably forced. The characters are meant to be in their late 30s, yet neither their appearance nor their behavior convincingly reflects that. It doesn’t align with the characterization built earlier, making it feel as though the characters haven’t aged at all. The interactions involving the child also come across as awkward and unnatural, which further weakens the emotional impact.
The drama would have benefited greatly from giving more focus to the supporting characters we’re already familiar with. Instead, several scenes are stretched for five to six minutes simply to fill runtime. The lack of substantial content becomes obvious, the pacing suffers, and what starts as dialogue-driven storytelling quickly turns monotonous.
I may sound harsh, but that’s largely because the latter episodes significantly affected my overall experience and rating. A drama needs to start strong, hold its ground in the middle, and end on a powerful note that stays with you. Unfortunately, Shine On Me falters at the end. The last couple of episodes go totally flat—predictable and underwhelming. The final episode, in particular, disappointed me in almost every aspect.
That said, I did enjoy the drama, especially the earlier episodes. It just didn’t meet the standard or potential I had hoped for, considering how promising the beginning was.
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