Sunshine of My Life (2021)

Brings me back to 2000s drama vibes

Here are just some of the tropes you'll see: overbearing CEO, determined and upbeat female lead, business politics/change of control, serious hospital scenes, disapproving parent, light-hearted second couple, misunderstandings and revenge, betrayal, and incredibly annoying/clingy second leads. Combined with the relatively long 45 eps for a modern drama, the dragginess accentuates the full experience of watching a drama that feels like it was written in 2007.

Not a pro nor a con but this drama really does feel like those "stereotypical" Chinese dramas from the 2000s - when a drama is overloaded with tropes. Although the plot is filled with it, it's still enjoyable with great acting, solid chemistry between leads, and an intriguing plot. I wouldn't write home about it but it combines the 2000s drama plot atmosphere with a 2020s polish. I'll start with the pros.

Pros: Acting is on point. The leads were great and very limited dubbing which is great. Although there's very serious parts, the couple's relationship is never really in turmoil which is always refreshing to see (no dumb breakups!!!). OST is solid and I particularly liked the more traditional music influence. The business side is about fashion which is a breath of fresh air as well.

Cons: A bit too typical and predictable. Although it was great that the couple's relationship was healthy for once (in a CEO drama!!), the rest of the plot isn't anything to write home about. Although at times, it hooks viewers to see how the leads are going to pull something off with satisfying gratification moments sprinkled throughout, it's still too draggy. 45 episodes is a tad too long -- cutting 10-15 episodes would have helped.

The biggest complaint (other than being too predictable) are the second leads. The second leads are too madly in love with the leads, and their behavior spans essentially 40 of the 45 episodes. This adds to the predictability, drag, and angst. It makes even less sense considering the main couple is such a healthy one; having such obsessive second leads was hard to bear. The second male lead had it worst - stalkerish, doesn't take no for an answer, stubborn.

The parts of the plot that are more character-driven were great. But the parts with external plot points were bad. The villains and second leads were very disappointing.

Overall, not a bad watch. I thoroughly enjoyed it but it's not without flaws. Too long and tropey are my main concerns, with one dimensional second leads. If you watch it for the main couple, fashion, or if you want a show with a little bit of "every type of plot", you won't be disappointed.

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Realistic, romantic, intelligent drama (just one spoiler)

First, let me say that Sunshine of My Life is one of my go-to dramas to re-watch as it is a relatively rare type - the couple, once together stays together, despite difficulties and challenges.

The ML (Zhang Han is one of my favorite actors) and FL (Xu Lu now one of my favorite actresses) have such wonderful chemistry. Their acting skills make Mingxuan and Mo Fei seem like a real couple, with affectionate little touches & looks from each of them. And I love that, thought a confident CEO, Mingxuan isn't cold and/or mean. He knows how to laugh, has fun lightly teasing his assistant, Yang Guang (played terrifically by Li Xin Zhe!) and is a little innocent in love, allowing Yang Guang to teach him a bit. But I really love that he isn't afraid of hard work. His intelligence & hard work ethic helps to keep his company flourishing .

Mo Fei is just a fantastic character; strong, capable, independent , talented woman without being whiney or the typical "crying excessively" type. She never feels sorry for herself and always pushes forwarded to fulfill her own dreams, not relying on anyone but using her own "smarts" and talents. Mo Fei and Minxuan were so REAL & handled problems as adults, being willing to forgive each other and understand each other's views with time & thought. AND THEY NEVER BROKE UP! OUTSTANDING! :) And I loved that they WAITED to sleep together until they knew that they were truly in love, not just in lust!

Also, Mo Fei can sure dish out to others what others dish out to her -- the SFL in particular. Mo Fei is the epitome of the word "sassy" and takes down the SFL with words, with eloquence and style, rather than the tricks the bitchy SFL uses. Wang Rui Zi played Xueling exactly right! Why are so many SFL characters so self absorbed that they can't tell that the ML isn't in love with them? If the ML is only being friendly, the SFL ALWAYS thinks that means that he loves her and wants to marry only her!

All of the actors played their parts beautifully, especially the SML. Hong Yao plays him as so arrogant that even when the ML and FML are together, he continues to think he can change her mind (which is why he moved into the apartment beside her in France). I also love the character of his sister, Fang Qian (played so well by Wang Xuan). She is a little TOO sweet for my taste, but the character calls for that and Wang Xuan delivers it beautifully.
Mo Fei's relationship with her brother Mo Fan (played terrifically by Jerron Wu) portrays a real brother-sister dynamic and it's hilarious and heartwarming.

The other characters: Minxuan's parents, Mo Fei's mother, Mingxuan's cousin, and all of the others (especially Cheng Yang the new designer at Mingyuan for whom Mo Fei is his assistant (played with such class by Xu Ge), as well Master Li, the owner of the embroidery workshop, Suzhou. (played gently & beautifully by Qian Jie)

The only problem I had, and why I gave the music a 9.5, was the song "Falling for You" which played throughout the drama. It very quickly became annoying for me.

The clothing in this drama were outstanding! You really felt they worked in the FASHION industry!

Over all this drama is a solid 10, in my opinion. VERY rewatchable, VERY realistic and intelligent. Highly recommended!

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A levelheaded heroine

Since the mother kept saying how wonderful her son was and that he could be happy only with a capable wife, I really hoped Tang Mingxuen would finally tell everyone how helpful Mo Fei was to him. Her help was crucial for his company at every critical moment. And yet it doesn't seem he even notices it. He only likes hearing from her how great _he_ is.

Overall, the drama was too long. I'm not usually a skipper, but I skipped all the XXL romance. I really couldn't care less for her character. Also, the scenes were too slow, and the dialogues often turned into monologues. This drama should have been shortened by half. At the same time many conflicts were left without a resolution. You know the Chekhov's gun principle. There were many "guns" in this story that failed to fire.

I'm glad that the main couple avoided serious breakouts, but I felt that Tang Ming treated Mo Fei too superficially. I hoped that, as a couple working in the same industry, they'd go hand in hand. But he never discussed with her anything serious, treating her like a teddy bear good for nothing but cuddling. Even though she helped him on many occasions it was often in spite of him. I also don't remember him standing behind her when it mattered. She was often left to fend for herself.

I did like however how levelheaded she was. That was refreshing for a Chinese drama. Still, I felt she was sometimes too easy on him. Esp. when he was lying to her for a long time and then pretty much just brushed it off.

I enjoyed the Chinese fashion history. I didn't enjoy the fake French interiors. Even the staircase that was the simplest to make failed to look genuine. Still, as much as I could suspend my disbelief and see it as a staircase in Paris, it gave me a weird feeling whenever the action moved to another "Parisian" place that looked Chinese, like Mr Feng's apartment or Cayman HQ, or that tacky restaurant where Andre takes the students. It felt like jumping continents in a matter of minutes.

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A package of Mature Romance, Good Understanding and Ambitious Career.

One of the best dramas about Fashion Designing and the Clothing Industry. Much better than the 'Love Designer'.
The romance between the two main leads is very mature. I mean not lovey-dovey type, but mature and sweet. They both understand themselves and each other very clearly. They are not ready to sacrifice their love or career for each other's sake or anyone's sake. They are not confused about what they want. It's an eye-soothing mature romance drama.
Second Male Lead and Second Female Lead, both are the same amount annoying! Fortunately, they don't have much effect on Main Leads' romance. But the second lead couple is very cute. They are the lovey-dovey couple in this drama. Their sweet romance makes this drama very enjoyable.

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For simple love story you can try this drama

As a whole I like this drama, I like all the characters and I like how it shown the importance of each characters in others life and in the loved ones life. Even though the Qianqian’s role is very less but I like her the most because she is soo innocent, soo pure and soo cute in this drama. But what I felt bad is, spending too much of episodes for the FML education, they always stayed away in most of the romantic times rather than giving more time to FL and ML being together. The most embarrassing one is at the end episode, when she introduced her husband in the fashion show he suddenly went and kissed her.

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A very typical love story

There is similarity with the other series "因为遇见你" (Because of you) that i have watched previously. I would say that i would have preferred the other drama because there are more unexpected plot twists.

This is like plain ole' vanilla, which never gets boring. Love Zhang Han in drama, his acting is superb as usual (what you get from a veteran actor). A drama where the FL with a distinct personality and goes all out to pursue her dream really appeals to me. And an overbearing CEO(as usual) who shows his cute sides (sometimes) will definitely tug your heartstrings.

The drama might feel a little draggy, so i actually skipped some parts while watching; but definitely know what's going on between the characters so all's good

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Great and awesome main leads; Hidden gem

This show in terms of story was a typical boss drama but the characters were really special. I loved both the characters, they were so clear on their visions. For both of them love was important but they never let it overpower their daily lives. One of my favourite things about this show was how the main leads handled the guy's mother. The male lead never disrespected his mother but was clear that no one can pressurize him to do something. He always stated his points clearly in front of his mother and other people like second female lead as well. In terms of handling people, the female lead also surprised me. The way she handled the second female lead and the mother impressed me. The talk with mother in the cafe was epic.

At first I thought it to be a above average typical cdrama but the more I see this drama in depth I realise that it had many unique elements. The first one being such mature characters. The communication and respect for each other in their relationship was solid. They were an ideal example of how a healthy non-toxic relationship should look. There might be conflicts and situational problems like long distance relationship but at the end of the day it is up to you whether these things will make your relationship toxic or you will pass through these obstacles while keeping your relationship healthy. This drama teaches you to live a mentally healthy and good life while being a strong independent and loved person. Totally in awe with the main leads.

My final say: A beautiful drama with many hidden messages. Even if you don't find all of them, you will still enjoy this drama and feel happy while watching the episodes. It is a modern cdrama of 2021 in true terms with respect to its story and character development.

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A very sweet couple and sweet story

I was having my doubts watching this drama because it looked boring and it did take me a couple of episodes to go through and finally love it. The main couple are very sweet their problems once they are together are good and resolved quickly and in a mature way.

The female lead focus on her career most of the time and doesn't follow the male lead like he is her only purpose but she has her own life and goals. I like this female lead alot, her character is strong, kind and worries for her friends. She doesn't make dumb decisions or acts like she's untalented but she knows herself and for that I found the character very enjoyable. The male lead is also nice he is the "I'm serious with everybody but you" which you see repeatedly on the drama cause he makes alot of sweet and flirty remarks when he is alone with the female lead anytime he gets the opportunity also the kiss scenes are so good. Atleast for me kissing scenes that actual involve lip movement is much more enjoyable than just standing and lips touching which is quite boring.

The villains in this drama are highly annoying but well written. But I disliked them so much that once they have their ending I could only enjoy one out of the two which is Xia Biaman ending because she very much deserved it. The other girl once I saw she would get another guy I couldn't go through like she was straight up rude to Mo Fei for 40 episodes and now that she found another guy I'm suppose to like her? Hell nah I skipped her parts. Highly annoying character but she did add spice to the drama.

Idk if just me but the music of this drama is so good, the ending ost and beginning ost I find them different from other dramas but I like it so so much could listen to this son's everyday while doing soenthing productive.

I recommend this drama alot for people that look for character growth with no necessary over the top drama but small experiences that happen that make you grow up in career and love life. I wouldn't say this drama changed my life but it surely made me warm up to it and loved watching it.

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honest review, highly recommend

this is probably one of my favourite dramas i have watched this year tbh, it is the most realistic one i have watched for sure. the ending is especially good in my opinion because its realistic - there isnt a happy ending for everyone, its not showing life to be a fairytale but instead its showing that sometimes we cant have the ending in life that we wish for. mo fei was betrayed by literally everyone in this drama , except from a few friends + her brother, however regardless her character was amazing because she didnt let anyone tell her what to do or pressure her to not do something because of what they think about it. I also really like how xueling character finally matured at the end because although i found her character insanely annoying, to some extent it is realistic in showing how jealousy can cause people to ignore rationality and just act rashly without regarding others.

i was not a fan of how xiaoyu character was written at first because he was borderline stalking mo fei however, her character was written so well that she stood up for herself, knew when to tell him to stop and made it very clear where she stands.

Besides this, i adored the soundtrack, i love how it highlighted chinese culture and went into depth surrounding it, its made me extremely interested in fashion now hahaha.

i really recommend this drama to anyone because it covers a lot of things which are very realistic in life, from relationships between family, friends and lovers to work ethics and following your dreams.

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A solid romance dragged down by lackluster fillers

I felt awkward when trying to write this review because I was seesawing between positive and negative feelings while watching the show. It felt as if I'm reviewing the Show and "the rest".

Fundamentally, this is a good romance drama. The ML is a handsome, workaholic CEO of a high-end fashion empire and the FL is a younger, bubbly student designer with great potentials. So far so good and their developing romance was nice and sweet. The ML is totally loyal and supportive but a bit domineering. The FL is a bit clueless at first but warmed up nicely. They have good chemistry and there is a decent amount of skinship that feels natural. Their romantic scenes in Paris are beautifully shot and their later scenes in China are certainly swoon worthy. I also appreciate the show paying homage to Chinese culture, textiles and fashion. For once, the overarching business theme is integral to the show. This includes realistic couture creation processes and not just the usual lip service. This would be a tight and enjoyable drama if it was 20 episodes long, alas it is more than double that length.

To reach that lofty length, the writer grafted on many iffy subplots and added a host of one dimensional support characters. We have a SML as well as SFL, a parade of tropey antagonists, meddling and manipulative parents and a dying ex-GF. So much angst, too much time.

All these stereotypical characters inhabit a seemingly parallel world where the OTP visits in between their romantic outings. Due to some dodgy writing, the flow of the story is not always smooth nor logical. Sometimes you can sense that the show wanted X to happen, so they worked backwards and jam in an Event Y as the raison d'être but quite often this feels clunky and heavy handed. Even when the story did make sense, it is filled with standard tropes.

Likewise, some characters' behaviour and rationale gave me pause. For instance, the ML’s mum admitted that she made a grave mistake when she forced the ML to marry his ex-GF 3 years ago for business reasons. She is doing exactly the same thing again but with the SFL. This also begs the question what are SFL's thoughts after witnessing what happened 3 years ago. The mum also refused to accept the FL, but she was willing to accept the FL’s younger brother as her only niece’s boyfriend after one short meeting. BTW, the 2OTP is quite contrived and not very convincing.

Surprisingly, the sick ex-GF is actually the best character of the lot. She is a sweet, well-adjusted lady. Her subplot was bittersweet and touching but grafted on. Small blessings.

Probably the worse aspect of the writing is the convoluted and muffled narrative. Subplots are plentiful but feel dull and predictable. Antagonists never raise above being petty minded. Even when they did huge economic damage to the ML’s company they are not punished in any tangible way. It was laughable how they were eventually caught. There are other examples of this type of dubious morality and fast logic. Ask no questions...

With that in mind, I would say that the core romance drama is good and solid but the overuse of lacklustre fillers drag it down and made it less enjoyable to watch. Peace out.

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