This review may contain spoilers
You only know the value of what you have when you lose it…
Wishing Upon a Shooting Star was not a drama that immediately caught my attention. I had seen the trailer several times, but it never intrigued me enough to start watching it right away. In the end, it took a recommendation for me to finally give it a chance. And honestly, it turned out to be a very pleasant surprise.
The first thing that immediately won me over was the atmosphere. From the very first minutes, the drama transports us to a small coastal island that feels almost untouched by time. This is about as far from the hustle and bustle of big cities as you can get. Everyone knows each other, neighbors help one another, life moves at a slower pace, and there is an undeniable warmth to the entire setting. Between the unusual houses, the quiet streets, and the beautiful seaside scenery, you can almost feel the salty ocean breeze through the screen. It is the kind of place that instantly makes you want to pack your bags and stay for a few days. Yet beneath this idyllic backdrop, the characters are far from happy. Right from the start, we are introduced to two men who are both going through some of the most difficult periods of their lives. On one side, there is Xiangyong, an unemployed artist who no longer really believes in himself. His self-esteem is practically nonexistent. He feels like he has failed in every aspect of his life and returns to his hometown because there is very little left for him elsewhere. Even that homecoming does not go as he hoped. His reunion with his father is awkward and strained, and it quickly becomes clear that both of them are carrying emotional burdens they have never managed to express. On the other side, Haowei is also on the verge of collapse. His burnout has become so severe that he regularly suffers panic attacks whenever things slip beyond his control. He arrives on the island with a very specific goal: to find the person who was once his first love and reconnect with someone he has never truly been able to forget. But the story really takes off after the famous wish.
After a night of drinking a little more than he probably should have, Xiangyong makes a careless wish that ends up changing his entire life. Convinced that he would be happier if he were someone else, he wishes that he could stop being himself. Against all expectations, the wish comes true. Overnight, the people around him no longer recognize him. I found this premise particularly interesting because it is not simply used as a fantasy gimmick. It becomes the very heart of the drama’s message. Through this new identity, Xiangyong is forced to observe his own life from the outside. A man who was convinced he had no value gradually begins to discover everything he had refused to see. He realizes that the people around him care about him far more than he ever imagined. He also comes to understand just how distorted his view of himself had become because of his failures and lack of confidence.
What touched me the most, however, was probably the relationship with his father. For years, Xiangyong had convinced himself that his father did not truly love him or was simply incapable of understanding him. Yet as his existence slowly fades away, he discovers a very different reality. Behind that apparent coldness is a man who loves his son deeply and is willing to sacrifice far more for him than Xiangyong ever realized. And it is precisely because he has become someone else that he is finally forced to face that truth. Unfortunately, this realization comes at the exact moment when he is no longer able to act. He cannot step in, reveal himself, or fix certain things. All he can do is watch. I found this idea incredibly powerful because it perfectly illustrates the central theme of the series: we often fail to appreciate the value of certain things until we are on the verge of losing them.
In many ways, that is what the entire drama is about. Beneath its fantasy elements, Wishing Upon a Shooting Star is ultimately a story about self-acceptance. It reminds us how easy it is to focus only on our flaws, our failures, and everything we have not achieved. At the same time, it encourages us to look at what we already have: the people who care about us, the connections we have built, and the possibilities that still lie ahead. The wishes scattered throughout the story feel less like magical gifts and more like life lessons.
I also enjoyed the romance quite a lot. While it may not reinvent the genre, it has a sincerity that works extremely well. One of my favorite aspects was the fact that Haowei always recognizes Xiangyong despite his change in appearance. Even when there is no rational explanation for what he is feeling, something inside him immediately knows that it is still the same person. I have to admit that stories where love transcends appearances will always be one of my weaknesses. Their relationship is built on genuine understanding and a sincere desire to help each other move forward. Little by little, they become each other’s support system, which makes their story particularly touching.
Overall, Wishing Upon a Shooting Star was a drama I genuinely enjoyed. Its world is original, its characters are likable, and the themes it explores are both meaningful and relevant. It may not have delivered the overwhelming emotional impact that some of my personal favorites have managed to achieve, but it tells a beautiful story with a great deal of warmth and sincerity. It is a comforting, thoughtful, and deeply human drama that absolutely deserves a chance.
The first thing that immediately won me over was the atmosphere. From the very first minutes, the drama transports us to a small coastal island that feels almost untouched by time. This is about as far from the hustle and bustle of big cities as you can get. Everyone knows each other, neighbors help one another, life moves at a slower pace, and there is an undeniable warmth to the entire setting. Between the unusual houses, the quiet streets, and the beautiful seaside scenery, you can almost feel the salty ocean breeze through the screen. It is the kind of place that instantly makes you want to pack your bags and stay for a few days. Yet beneath this idyllic backdrop, the characters are far from happy. Right from the start, we are introduced to two men who are both going through some of the most difficult periods of their lives. On one side, there is Xiangyong, an unemployed artist who no longer really believes in himself. His self-esteem is practically nonexistent. He feels like he has failed in every aspect of his life and returns to his hometown because there is very little left for him elsewhere. Even that homecoming does not go as he hoped. His reunion with his father is awkward and strained, and it quickly becomes clear that both of them are carrying emotional burdens they have never managed to express. On the other side, Haowei is also on the verge of collapse. His burnout has become so severe that he regularly suffers panic attacks whenever things slip beyond his control. He arrives on the island with a very specific goal: to find the person who was once his first love and reconnect with someone he has never truly been able to forget. But the story really takes off after the famous wish.
After a night of drinking a little more than he probably should have, Xiangyong makes a careless wish that ends up changing his entire life. Convinced that he would be happier if he were someone else, he wishes that he could stop being himself. Against all expectations, the wish comes true. Overnight, the people around him no longer recognize him. I found this premise particularly interesting because it is not simply used as a fantasy gimmick. It becomes the very heart of the drama’s message. Through this new identity, Xiangyong is forced to observe his own life from the outside. A man who was convinced he had no value gradually begins to discover everything he had refused to see. He realizes that the people around him care about him far more than he ever imagined. He also comes to understand just how distorted his view of himself had become because of his failures and lack of confidence.
What touched me the most, however, was probably the relationship with his father. For years, Xiangyong had convinced himself that his father did not truly love him or was simply incapable of understanding him. Yet as his existence slowly fades away, he discovers a very different reality. Behind that apparent coldness is a man who loves his son deeply and is willing to sacrifice far more for him than Xiangyong ever realized. And it is precisely because he has become someone else that he is finally forced to face that truth. Unfortunately, this realization comes at the exact moment when he is no longer able to act. He cannot step in, reveal himself, or fix certain things. All he can do is watch. I found this idea incredibly powerful because it perfectly illustrates the central theme of the series: we often fail to appreciate the value of certain things until we are on the verge of losing them.
In many ways, that is what the entire drama is about. Beneath its fantasy elements, Wishing Upon a Shooting Star is ultimately a story about self-acceptance. It reminds us how easy it is to focus only on our flaws, our failures, and everything we have not achieved. At the same time, it encourages us to look at what we already have: the people who care about us, the connections we have built, and the possibilities that still lie ahead. The wishes scattered throughout the story feel less like magical gifts and more like life lessons.
I also enjoyed the romance quite a lot. While it may not reinvent the genre, it has a sincerity that works extremely well. One of my favorite aspects was the fact that Haowei always recognizes Xiangyong despite his change in appearance. Even when there is no rational explanation for what he is feeling, something inside him immediately knows that it is still the same person. I have to admit that stories where love transcends appearances will always be one of my weaknesses. Their relationship is built on genuine understanding and a sincere desire to help each other move forward. Little by little, they become each other’s support system, which makes their story particularly touching.
Overall, Wishing Upon a Shooting Star was a drama I genuinely enjoyed. Its world is original, its characters are likable, and the themes it explores are both meaningful and relevant. It may not have delivered the overwhelming emotional impact that some of my personal favorites have managed to achieve, but it tells a beautiful story with a great deal of warmth and sincerity. It is a comforting, thoughtful, and deeply human drama that absolutely deserves a chance.
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