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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a glimpse of hope in a "what if?" world
I'm writing this while getting myself together after watching the last episode. I had high expectations for Twelve Letters and I'm glad I did.I'm not gonna lie to you: it is a painful watch. But it also gives you a sense of warmth, a new perspective of found family amidst the unfairness of the world. It will hurt. But it needs to hurt so you can truly feel like you belong with their lives too, and you'll root for them. And get angry on behalf of them. And feel hope, despair and happiness with them.
The actors did such a great job, all of them. No one felt lacking. And you can see in the way they portrayed their characters that they truly care for the story they're bringing to life – and that's something you get from the whole production crew as well. Everyone involved in Twelve Letters clearly cared for it, loved it, respected it.
Ye Haitang, Tang Yixun... you always deserved a kinder world and I hope you're having one now.
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If you're looking for a story about love, you found it here.
The First Frost is a story about love in all kinds. Love that we long for, first love, love of a lifetime, love we find in our friends, love that we think we don't deserve, love that we are deprived of... The leads are the characters itself. You get attached to them. You root for them. You feel what they feel. And they feel so much it hurts in a heart wrenching way.The First Frost is beautifully made from start to finish for those who love it for what it is – and was always supposed to be.
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It is perfect. No one is exaggerating.
It hurts so much to part ways with this show that i even delayed watching the finale (what comforts me is that mayyyybe we'll get a second season when Minhyun returns).And let's start with him: Minhyun! Definitely one of my favorite characters of him now, he did such a good job as Gamin and with those many rookie actors. Their chemistry is insane. I loved how he brought his character to life, you simply cannot love Gamin and wish to protect him from the world!!
Everything about the story is well connected: the characters, the action scenes, the funny scenes, the soundtrack (and this one i think plays a huge part on the watching experience)...
Study Group is a easy watch while still being a masterpiece. Can't wait to re-watch it again in the future!
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got me giggling and kicking my feet
a pleasant surprise!!! to be honest, i wasn't expecting much of it when i first started and k thought it would just be a good enough drama with some cute sceneswell, it had some /really/ cute scenes but it was much better than i initially expected! it is comfortable to watch and enjoy, it has a simple and yet interesting plot, no major misunderstandings or unnecessary drama (which was really refreshing!!) and all characters are likeable in their own way.
it is a 10/10 not because it is revolutionary bjt because it does really well in its own genre and niche in only 22 episodes with an average 25/30 minutes per episode. i wish more dramas were like this one, nothing too complicated but still fun to watch.
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Love can heal someone's soul. Especially self love.
The Best Thing gives us a sense of warmth from start to finish. From the first episodes to the last ones it feels like a full circle moment of healing, just like how life is. We first meet Shen Xifan when she's struggling, hurting and lost. You might think He Suye is her cure or her salvation but no, he is just a glimpse of hope, a ray of sunlight. And sometimes that's all we need to find our own courage to step out of darkness and embrace a fulfilling life.Their relationship is solid and well built, the cinematography is beautiful, the side conflicts make sense and (fortunately) don't last long. By the end they introduced a plot that wasn't really necessary in my pov but it also gets a round ending so it's okay.
Get yourself a cup of tea, be comfy and enjoy The Best Thing with an open heart. It will be worthy.
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