This review may contain spoilers
My heart is overflowing with warm fuzzies!
Oh, it’s so rare for a 10/10 show to come along and have my heart full of satisfaction.
I didn’t even need to complete the full 36 episodes to know it would have that rating, either.
There was not one episode I was unhappy with.
I really enjoyed the show's unhurried tempo.
There was a perfect balance in the slice of life episodes.
Spanning from 2013 to 2028, this drama unfolds without being overtly attention-grabbing.
The gentle story arcs provided a warm embrace, offering a glimpse into the couple's professional and personal lives, which made it feel very relatable throughout. The episodes were consistently cheerful, free from dramatic, non-toxic plotlines or heart-wrenching angst. To be clear, I also like those intense shows that make you cry and fill you with anxiety about what's coming next. But Shine on Me isn’t one of those shows and I was so glad for it. We all need a show to decompress our nervous systems and this was absolutely perfect for that.
I could wax lyrically for days how perfect Xi Guang and Li Yusen are. A male lead who perfected the yearning eyes and the sweetest, most personable female lead (loved all her clothes btw!) their slow burn relationship came so naturally that when it turned to romance it felt so right. And for being an office romance, usually you get the bitchy trouble from coworkers, this show was delightfully non-toxic for any of that nonsense!
It’s notable to mention the gorgeous hugs Li Yusen gave. And the yearning eyes gave me butterflies!
Besides the dumb dad, the rest of the family was great and always made the scenes feel cozy. Loved the cute sidekick cousin and the funny uncle.
Now, let’s talk about second ML.
I had mixed feelings about Zhung Xi the whole time.
For the first four episodes, you could have thought he was the main guy because of how the show told the story of love that wasn't returned – or maybe it was? Our main guy, the fantastic Li Yusen was hardly shown at all in those first few episodes, but Zhuang’s personality was so steeped in low confidence and morose energy that I felt like he was waving “woe-is-me” flags in every scene. In any other show that kind of dark, unapproachable personality, I’m sure he would have made a good leading male, but against Li Yusen, he failed miserably.
He never even tried to win her over, but Yusen was so upfront with his feelings. Oh, swoon!
Seeing Zhuang again at the airport at the end, I felt a pang of emotion for him as he watched the happy family. He smiled sadly, and I figured he was thinking about Xi Guang, the girl that got away because he never really put the effort in to win her all those times her heart was so open to him.
I have an empathetic heart for my fictional characters, and long after the shows have finished, I always wonder what those characters are up to – so my hope is for Zhuang to finally put down his past baggage and to find his own piece of personal happiness.
If you're looking for a happy vibes show, this is the one. It has the same warm, enjoyable feel as The Best Things (IMO)
I could have watched this show for another hundred episodes and been perfectly happy.
I'm confident I'll rewatch this and experience the same comforting feelings.
I didn’t even need to complete the full 36 episodes to know it would have that rating, either.
There was not one episode I was unhappy with.
I really enjoyed the show's unhurried tempo.
There was a perfect balance in the slice of life episodes.
Spanning from 2013 to 2028, this drama unfolds without being overtly attention-grabbing.
The gentle story arcs provided a warm embrace, offering a glimpse into the couple's professional and personal lives, which made it feel very relatable throughout. The episodes were consistently cheerful, free from dramatic, non-toxic plotlines or heart-wrenching angst. To be clear, I also like those intense shows that make you cry and fill you with anxiety about what's coming next. But Shine on Me isn’t one of those shows and I was so glad for it. We all need a show to decompress our nervous systems and this was absolutely perfect for that.
I could wax lyrically for days how perfect Xi Guang and Li Yusen are. A male lead who perfected the yearning eyes and the sweetest, most personable female lead (loved all her clothes btw!) their slow burn relationship came so naturally that when it turned to romance it felt so right. And for being an office romance, usually you get the bitchy trouble from coworkers, this show was delightfully non-toxic for any of that nonsense!
It’s notable to mention the gorgeous hugs Li Yusen gave. And the yearning eyes gave me butterflies!
Besides the dumb dad, the rest of the family was great and always made the scenes feel cozy. Loved the cute sidekick cousin and the funny uncle.
Now, let’s talk about second ML.
I had mixed feelings about Zhung Xi the whole time.
For the first four episodes, you could have thought he was the main guy because of how the show told the story of love that wasn't returned – or maybe it was? Our main guy, the fantastic Li Yusen was hardly shown at all in those first few episodes, but Zhuang’s personality was so steeped in low confidence and morose energy that I felt like he was waving “woe-is-me” flags in every scene. In any other show that kind of dark, unapproachable personality, I’m sure he would have made a good leading male, but against Li Yusen, he failed miserably.
He never even tried to win her over, but Yusen was so upfront with his feelings. Oh, swoon!
Seeing Zhuang again at the airport at the end, I felt a pang of emotion for him as he watched the happy family. He smiled sadly, and I figured he was thinking about Xi Guang, the girl that got away because he never really put the effort in to win her all those times her heart was so open to him.
I have an empathetic heart for my fictional characters, and long after the shows have finished, I always wonder what those characters are up to – so my hope is for Zhuang to finally put down his past baggage and to find his own piece of personal happiness.
If you're looking for a happy vibes show, this is the one. It has the same warm, enjoyable feel as The Best Things (IMO)
I could have watched this show for another hundred episodes and been perfectly happy.
I'm confident I'll rewatch this and experience the same comforting feelings.
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