This review may contain spoilers
I hardly watch dramas when they air, but I read part of the novel this was based on and liked it. Shine on Me is probably an 8 or 8.5, but I rated it a bit higher, mainly because I like the chemistry between the leads.
This isn't for everyone because it's a slow burn where nothing much happens. A huge chunk of the plot also had boring information on the solar power industry. I know that talking about a specific area (gaming in Love O2O or aerospace in You Are My Glory) is a signature in Gu Man's novels, so I expected it. Despite not being as eventful, this drama came at the right time for me...I watched 2 plot heavy dramas before this, so the lighter fare made it a perfect comfort watch during the holidays.
A lot of positives here...a lot of focus on healing, successful career women, loving/supportive relatives, etc.. Mainly, the way the male lead looks at the female lead (ex: the scene where she's writing her name on his hand shows how much he yearns for her)...one can also tell he really likes her, even in the beginning when he is cold and distant. The couple here are not passionate or emotional like the one in The First Frost, but they have their own love language, which also works. The camera focuses a lot on the way the male lead always reaches out for the female lead's hands, their hand holding, etc. His gestures are very affectionate and protective- from the way he hugs her (completely enveloping her), kisses her forehead, the way he goes in front of her when one of the villagers (accusing her father of owing money) was leering at her, etc. They have a lighter, fluffier relationship full of sweet moments...it just takes awhile to get there.
One of the main things (if not the main thing) that makes Shine on Me work is the way the male lead is written. Lin Yusen is kindhearted, devoted and shameless when it comes to love. He cares for the female lead, Nie Xiguang, a lot, to the point that he does not mind pursuing her even if she may not reciprocate his feelings. He is also direct without being pushy and is very patient and considerate. A lot of viewers criticize the actor (Song Wei Long) for not being skilled enough. While I don't think he's the best in acting, I find him to be less robotic than say, Yang Yang (no offense to his fans), who gets far less criticism. There's nothing wrong with an actor going outside his comfort zone, but Wei Long strikes me as the type who fits specific roles. Much like Yang Yang and Ryan Ding, he tends to fit good guy roles better...but I'm guessing that he gets typecast into bad boy roles (which, IMHO do not fit him) because he has sharp features. In any case, I think he played Lin Yusen very well and that this character was a perfect fit.
I appreciate how the male lead was confident, but at the same time, vulnerable when it came to the female lead. There were a lot of moments where he appeared at a loss or uncertain (ex: when he was apologizing for confessing to her in ep13, his look of disbelief when she said she wanted to be with him at the end of ep24, etc). His character is ideal, but not perfect in that he also makes mistakes, like when he misjudged her. The good thing is that despite his initial coldness, he still treats her well and is able to overcome his resentment and let go of his prejudice. I think the writer must have watched a lot of shows with a jerk/cold/distant male lead and got second lead syndrome, which is why she created this character. Lin Yusen resembles a lot of second male leads...but there is an iconic knight in shining armor scene (if one does not mind that sort of thing) where he goes up the steps to rescue Xiguang from her toxic friends/ex-crush, which is rather dramatic, but effective. You just know* he is the male lead after this.
I also really like Zhao Jin Mai's performance as Nie Xiguang. She has a natural way of acting where she is able to portray the typical innocent female lead without being grating or annoying. Her speaking voice is cheerful without sounding like she sucked an air balloon. She is depicted as a privileged character and yet very down to earth. I like how the actress is able to emote/cry in certain scenes (ex: the hospital scene with Yu Sen after her accident and the scene where her father was hospitalized) without going over the top. I also love the intelligent and loyal way she reacts to situations. When her father accuses Yusen of being duplicitous, her immediate response is to defend him. She gets upset when he is slandered and when she hears rumors about him, she goes directly to him and asks him about it, instead of doubting him and making the problem worse.
I kept wondering why Zhuang Xu, the second male lead, had so many scenes...then I realized it was an effective way for the writers to show the contrast between him and Yusen. For the record, I don't think there is anything wrong with having a male lead with insecurities. What's wrong is if they take these insecurities out on others. Zhuang Xu's inferiority complex about his background was not the problem...the problem was that he attacked Xiguang's background because of it. Also, there is nothing wrong with Xiguang pursuing him or him rejecting her. This is the issue I had with that other drama, Everybody Loves Me, where the female lead grew angry with the male lead for rejecting her. No one is obligated to accept a confession if they are not ready or don't feel the same.
The issue is not that Zhuang Xu rejected her, but that he deliberately misled her into believing that he was with another woman...then grew angry later on when he thought she did the same thing with Yusen. The issue is not that he lacked directness (not everyone is direct) or was ambiguous, but that he expected her to read his mind, as if she were professor X- relying on weird grape analogies he expected her to interpret correctly. His attitude unintentionally created a lot of humorous moments, such as when he was sullenly looking on while Xiguang served Yusen fish soup during the wedding reception of their friend.
I also don't understand why he was so insecure. Sure, he came from a humble background, but so what? He came from a good school, is smart (at least in terms of IQ), was successful at work (made it to the top in just a few years), is good looking and practically half the female cast was in love with him. I couldn't figure out why he kept acting like a pandora's box of inner turmoil...he basically had everything and nothing to mope about. I hope the actor playing this role gets elevated into a more likeable male lead soon...because this Zhuang Zu was hated by readers years ago and now...10 years later, is disliked by a lot of viewers and with good reason.
This isn't for everyone because it's a slow burn where nothing much happens. A huge chunk of the plot also had boring information on the solar power industry. I know that talking about a specific area (gaming in Love O2O or aerospace in You Are My Glory) is a signature in Gu Man's novels, so I expected it. Despite not being as eventful, this drama came at the right time for me...I watched 2 plot heavy dramas before this, so the lighter fare made it a perfect comfort watch during the holidays.
A lot of positives here...a lot of focus on healing, successful career women, loving/supportive relatives, etc.. Mainly, the way the male lead looks at the female lead (ex: the scene where she's writing her name on his hand shows how much he yearns for her)...one can also tell he really likes her, even in the beginning when he is cold and distant. The couple here are not passionate or emotional like the one in The First Frost, but they have their own love language, which also works. The camera focuses a lot on the way the male lead always reaches out for the female lead's hands, their hand holding, etc. His gestures are very affectionate and protective- from the way he hugs her (completely enveloping her), kisses her forehead, the way he goes in front of her when one of the villagers (accusing her father of owing money) was leering at her, etc. They have a lighter, fluffier relationship full of sweet moments...it just takes awhile to get there.
One of the main things (if not the main thing) that makes Shine on Me work is the way the male lead is written. Lin Yusen is kindhearted, devoted and shameless when it comes to love. He cares for the female lead, Nie Xiguang, a lot, to the point that he does not mind pursuing her even if she may not reciprocate his feelings. He is also direct without being pushy and is very patient and considerate. A lot of viewers criticize the actor (Song Wei Long) for not being skilled enough. While I don't think he's the best in acting, I find him to be less robotic than say, Yang Yang (no offense to his fans), who gets far less criticism. There's nothing wrong with an actor going outside his comfort zone, but Wei Long strikes me as the type who fits specific roles. Much like Yang Yang and Ryan Ding, he tends to fit good guy roles better...but I'm guessing that he gets typecast into bad boy roles (which, IMHO do not fit him) because he has sharp features. In any case, I think he played Lin Yusen very well and that this character was a perfect fit.
I appreciate how the male lead was confident, but at the same time, vulnerable when it came to the female lead. There were a lot of moments where he appeared at a loss or uncertain (ex: when he was apologizing for confessing to her in ep13, his look of disbelief when she said she wanted to be with him at the end of ep24, etc). His character is ideal, but not perfect in that he also makes mistakes, like when he misjudged her. The good thing is that despite his initial coldness, he still treats her well and is able to overcome his resentment and let go of his prejudice. I think the writer must have watched a lot of shows with a jerk/cold/distant male lead and got second lead syndrome, which is why she created this character. Lin Yusen resembles a lot of second male leads...but there is an iconic knight in shining armor scene (if one does not mind that sort of thing) where he goes up the steps to rescue Xiguang from her toxic friends/ex-crush, which is rather dramatic, but effective. You just know* he is the male lead after this.
I also really like Zhao Jin Mai's performance as Nie Xiguang. She has a natural way of acting where she is able to portray the typical innocent female lead without being grating or annoying. Her speaking voice is cheerful without sounding like she sucked an air balloon. She is depicted as a privileged character and yet very down to earth. I like how the actress is able to emote/cry in certain scenes (ex: the hospital scene with Yu Sen after her accident and the scene where her father was hospitalized) without going over the top. I also love the intelligent and loyal way she reacts to situations. When her father accuses Yusen of being duplicitous, her immediate response is to defend him. She gets upset when he is slandered and when she hears rumors about him, she goes directly to him and asks him about it, instead of doubting him and making the problem worse.
I kept wondering why Zhuang Xu, the second male lead, had so many scenes...then I realized it was an effective way for the writers to show the contrast between him and Yusen. For the record, I don't think there is anything wrong with having a male lead with insecurities. What's wrong is if they take these insecurities out on others. Zhuang Xu's inferiority complex about his background was not the problem...the problem was that he attacked Xiguang's background because of it. Also, there is nothing wrong with Xiguang pursuing him or him rejecting her. This is the issue I had with that other drama, Everybody Loves Me, where the female lead grew angry with the male lead for rejecting her. No one is obligated to accept a confession if they are not ready or don't feel the same.
The issue is not that Zhuang Xu rejected her, but that he deliberately misled her into believing that he was with another woman...then grew angry later on when he thought she did the same thing with Yusen. The issue is not that he lacked directness (not everyone is direct) or was ambiguous, but that he expected her to read his mind, as if she were professor X- relying on weird grape analogies he expected her to interpret correctly. His attitude unintentionally created a lot of humorous moments, such as when he was sullenly looking on while Xiguang served Yusen fish soup during the wedding reception of their friend.
I also don't understand why he was so insecure. Sure, he came from a humble background, but so what? He came from a good school, is smart (at least in terms of IQ), was successful at work (made it to the top in just a few years), is good looking and practically half the female cast was in love with him. I couldn't figure out why he kept acting like a pandora's box of inner turmoil...he basically had everything and nothing to mope about. I hope the actor playing this role gets elevated into a more likeable male lead soon...because this Zhuang Zu was hated by readers years ago and now...10 years later, is disliked by a lot of viewers and with good reason.
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