Lissa

WARNING: This review contains A LOT of spoilers. Proceed at your own risk!

A drama that gave me a genuinely lovely slow burn, a healthy relationship, Song Weilong being an absolute sweetheart, an unreasonable amount of kissing AND an actual wedding scene? Honestly, I was being spoiled.

One of my favourite things about "Shine on Me" is the development of Nie Xiguang and Lin Yusen's relationship. This is a proper slow burn, and I loved that we get to experience every stage of it. From their initial interactions and gradually growing closer to building trust, falling in love and eventually becoming a couple, their relationship feels natural and earned. There's no need to rush things just to give us romantic moments.

But what I appreciated even more was that their relationship continued to develop after they got together. We actually get to see them become more comfortable with each other, communicate honestly and learn how to navigate difficulties as partners. They're mature, patient and respectful of one another, and I found that incredibly refreshing. It's nice to watch two people who genuinely want to make their relationship work instead of spending half the drama refusing to communicate for the sake of unnecessary conflict.

And speaking of romantic moments... I HAVE NEVER SEEN SO MANY KISSES IN A DRAMA. I genuinely think this drama might hold the record for the most kisses I've ever watched. LMAO. We get the slow burn, we get the relationship development, and then these two apparently decide they have some catching up to do. I'm not complaining. Quite the opposite, actually. More dramas should take notes.

Now, LIN YUSEN. I absolutely adored this man. Song Weilong is usually associated with colder, more reserved male leads, so seeing him play someone as sweet, patient and openly romantic as Lin Yusen was such a treat. I loved how understanding he was with Xiguang and how he gave her the time and space to figure out her own feelings. He never made her feel pressured, and his affection felt sincere rather than possessive. I really hope Song Weilong gets more characters like this in the future because he was wonderful. I would happily watch him play another ridiculously devoted boyfriend. Actually, I insist.

As for Nie Xiguang, I have a bit of a confession: she frustrated me at the beginning. There were moments when I desperately wanted her to defend herself instead of letting other people walk all over her. However, I really enjoyed watching her grow into a more confident and independent woman. Her development felt rewarding, especially seeing her build a successful business and establish herself through her own hard work. I loved that her story wasn't limited to becoming someone's girlfriend. She had ambitions of her own, and it was satisfying to see her achieve them.

AND WE GOT A WEDDING SCENE THIS TIME!

After what happened with "Love for You", I was prepared to start a petition if this drama decided to cut its wedding too. Thankfully, WE WON. We got the ceremony, we got to see them get married, and I didn't have to hunt through extra content to enjoy the happy ending. Thank you. This is all I've ever wanted. Let couples get married AND LET US SEE IT.

Now, unfortunately, I cannot give this drama a higher rating without addressing the biggest obstacle to my happiness: ZHUANG XU. I HATED THIS MAN. I need everyone to understand that. The constant self-victimisation, the way he treated Xiguang, the way he kept hurting her and then somehow decided he wanted her... THE AUDACITY. Sir, please. At what point are you going to take responsibility for your own actions? He had every opportunity to treat her better, but somehow always managed to make things worse. And then we're supposed to entertain the idea of him wanting her back? Absolutely not.

I genuinely don't think this drama needed a love triangle. I was perfectly happy watching Xiguang and Yusen fall in love, so why did we need Zhuang Xu making everything unnecessarily complicated? Just move on. Let her go. Find a hobby. Take up gardening. Anything. Leave these people alone. Honestly, he is the main reason this drama didn't get a 9 from me. I could have happily lived without his entire storyline.

Ye Rong was another source of frustration. She spent so much time seeing Xiguang as her enemy that I almost found it funny when she finally started to realise things weren't quite what she thought. Girl, it took you long enough.

And if we're talking about the actual villains, Ma Niangyuan and her mother deserve a special mention. Greed, manipulation and absolutely no shame. These two were genuinely infuriating. At some point, I stopped wondering who was going to cause the next problem and just started expecting it to be them.

Despite all of that, I had a genuinely wonderful time watching *Shine on Me*. It gave me a romance that felt mature and rewarding, a female lead with satisfying personal growth, and a male lead I would happily defend with my life. The chemistry was lovely, the kisses were plentiful, and the wedding scene finally restored my faith in romance drama productions.

Song Weilong, please keep playing sweet, romantic men. I am begging.