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Shine on Me chinese drama review
Completed
Shine on Me
1 people found this review helpful
by Cortanaherondale
10 days ago
36 of 36 episodes seen
Completed
Overall 8.5
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 6.0
This review may contain spoilers

Not Groundbreaking, But Warm

I’ll start with the first 10 episodes because honestly… they feel like a completely different show.

The early episodes weren’t bad, but they were setting up a totally different vibe than what the drama eventually becomes. At first, you barely even see the male lead, and the female lead comes off as someone hopelessly in love with a guy who treats her terribly—which made her feelings a bit questionable. That said, even in those first 8–10 episodes, there was something that kept pulling me in and making me want to continue, and I’m really glad I stuck with it.

The male lead’s character shift after the first 10 episodes was honestly wild. At the beginning, he’s extremely cold, robotic, and almost nonexistent emotionally. Then suddenly—after that hospital scene when she cries—his entire personality flips. He becomes warm, supportive, and genuinely kind. The change was drastic, but I actually loved it. I’m really glad they didn’t drag out his cold phase for too long.

For me, the absolute star of the show is ZJM. She was completely immersed in her character—it genuinely felt like she wasn’t acting at all. Everything about her felt natural, relaxed, and effortless, like she was the character. I’ve watched her before and already loved her, but this role really sold me even more. She did the character so much justice.

I especially loved her character arc: achieving her goals, moving forward, and standing up for herself. She never waited for someone else to defend her, and I really appreciated that. She wasn’t a damsel in distress, and while I do sometimes enjoy that trope, it wouldn’t have suited her character at all. Seeing her choose herself, stay on the right path, and finally succeed was so satisfying.

Also, can we talk about her styling? I loved how her outfits evolved with her life stages—college outfits when she was younger, more serious workwear when she started working, and then elegant, boss-level looks when she rose up. That detail was chef’s kiss.

As for Song Weilong, this wasn’t my favorite role of his. His acting was good, but not amazing—I’ve definitely seen better performances from him. At times, it felt like he was following the script more than fully embodying the character, and the female lead honestly overshadowed him. That said, he still did a solid job. I was excited to see him play a CEO since we hadn’t really gotten that before, but he definitely felt more like a support character for the female lead rather than the main focus.

I did appreciate the message in his storyline though—that you don’t have to give up, that there’s always another path, and that if you truly love something, you can find your way back to it. I was really hoping he’d return to being a doctor, but as long as he was happy and doing something meaningful, I was okay with it. His styling was nice too, though I do wish his suits were tailored better—they didn’t always fit him perfectly.

Romance-wise, this was a very soft, healthy love story. It’s not groundbreaking or something completely new, but it is realistic and comforting. Just two people falling in love in a healthy, supportive way. The show focuses way more on them getting together than on their relationship after they’re together. Once they’re a couple, it’s very calm, mundane, and unproblematic—which honestly was refreshing.

One thing I really loved—and honestly don’t see often—was that this is one of the first shows I’ve watched where both leads are filthy rich. Like, actually rich-rich. They both own companies, they’re both successful, and the “rich couple” dynamic was on another level. What made it even better was that they were complete equals. There was no power imbalance, no one depending on the other financially, and no ego about it. Their wealth wasn’t their personality either—they were both humble, grounded, and normal despite having everything. I loved how the show treated richness as just a background detail rather than a defining trait, and it made their relationship feel even healthier.

There’s no dramatic push-and-pull or heavy tension. He likes her, he pursues her, they fall in love, and then… they continue living their lives together. For people who want a non-toxic, no-drama, lovey-dovey romance, this is perfect. I also loved the contrast between her first love—someone who never supported her—and the male lead, who always stood by her side. He was such a green flag.

The second male lead surprised me. I wanted to hate him, but the actor was handsome and carried the sadness really well. That said, he was sad for way too long, and his obsession with her after losing her got annoying. Still, every time the main couple casually flexed their relationship in front of him, I won’t lie—I enjoyed it way too much.

I do think the show was too long. 36 episodes felt unnecessary. There was also a heavy focus on the solar panel industry and work-related details, and honestly… I didn’t find that interesting. I get that they were trying to highlight the importance of renewable energy, but the technical details pulled me out of the story more than once. The CGI/green screen moments were also pretty bad and very distracting.

One of my favorite side characters was the cousin—he was fun, warm, and had great chemistry with the female lead. Every time he was on screen, I enjoyed it.

Visually, I loved how the drama showcased beautiful places around China. The scenery was stunning. That said, the story is supposedly set around 2013, and nothing about it actually felt like 2013. I understand why they did it for the solar panel storyline, but they could’ve leaned more into the time period with styling and details.

What really elevated the show for me was the final episode. It was beautifully done. Everything was wrapped up properly, and instead of unnecessary drama, we got to see them just… living life together as a family. Since the drama focused more on them getting together than being together, that last episode felt like a reward—and it was honestly one of the best finales I’ve seen in a while.

Overall, I think this is a drama people should go into knowing what they’re getting. It’s not overhyped, but it’s also not groundbreaking. If you’ve watched a lot of modern dramas, you’ve probably seen better—but this one is still nice. It’s very work-focused, more than I personally prefer, but if you’re looking for a healthy, low-drama, cozy romance where not much happens and everyone just vibes, this show might be for you.
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