“True love isn’t exempt from breakups; it’s defined by the unwavering commitment to reunite.”

There is something magical about reconnecting with a lost love; the subtle hesitance when you reunite, the mood shifts because you don’t know what they feel and mostly, maybe the desire to reunite. “Wishing upon the Shooting Stars” relies on this magic and so much more. Wishes can be fraudulent. You can hope they come true, but no one can guarantee that it will happen. And yet, we make wishes in temples or pray to deities, hoping they will listen to our pleas. Our main protagonist, He Xiang Yong makes a similar wish upon a shooting star- he does not want to be recognized anymore by the people in his hometown. Shockingly, his wish comes true and not even his own father recognizes him anymore. The storytelling is a little whimsical, the opportunity seems impossible to believe and yet, this simple wish brings forth a whole new experience for our main lead, who is exhausted and tired of living a lackluster life.

Storyline & Chemistry-

After getting laid off, timid office worker He Xiang Yong (Jed Chung) returns to his hometown from Taipei. His strained relationship with his father doesn’t bring relief, and he gets roaring drunk after a late night party organized by his neighbors. While sitting at the beach with his close friend Li Wan Zhe (JN Yu), Xiang Yong makes a wish to the shooting stars, saying that he doesn’t want to be recognized anymore. Next morning, he wakes, gets mistaken for a stranger and is kicked out by his father. He ends up on the streets before realizing the new B&B staff is his high school crush, Chen Hao Wei (Chu Meng Hsuan). His father, Hao Wei and the remaining townspeople don’t recognize him. Only Wan Zhe & Brother Hong (Andy Wu) remember his identity. As Xiang Yong struggles to accept this new reality, Wan Zhe engineers a new identity for him, Zhong Xiao You. They lie to his father that Xiao You is Xiang Yong’s friend and somehow, he gets employed at his own father’s B&B. Surprisingly, Wan Zhe makes a wish as well- he wants a better half who would take care of him. The result is that he ends up with his own customer, Hamaguchi Aomi (Kagami Kota). Aomi is a Japanese immigrant, quite shy & reserved. But after Wan Zhe makes the wish, Aomi starts to aggressively pursue Wan Zhe.

Both pairings have their own intriguing chemistry. The lead pairing strike a balance between their past & present lives. Young He Xiang Yong (Chen Yen Hsv) & Chen Hao Wei (Max Kuo) have a cute camaraderie. They were close friends and maybe their friendship extended beyond that. But apparently, they broke up and we don’t know the reason. Chen Hao Wei was a top scorer in school & it seems like he left behind his successful life in the city to relocate to Xiang Yong’s shanty hometown. He suffers from panic disorder, and we don’t know the exact reasons, for why he left his high- paying job. Jed Chung & Chu Meng Hsuan seem to have a natural chemistry, given the fact that Chen Hao Wei has begun to suspect Zhong Xiao You’s true identity, since his mannerisms are quite similar to Xiang Yong.

First Impressions

The past collides with the present, memories are reignited as they reconcile!!

“Wishing upon the Shooting Stars” is a story of healing and rediscovery. Xiang You is struggling to find his own self- worth and his purpose in life. It became evident that he was a good managing editor at the publishing house he worked for. His popular webtoon artist, Xi Xi (Aiko Fang) travels all the way to his hometown to find him, because she doesn’t want to work with anyone else. And then there is Chen Hao Wei, who relocated to Xiang Yong’s hometown so he could meet him. There are unresolved feelings between them, that need clarification. Overall, this is a good watch!!

Rating- 3.5 out of 5

Streaming on- Gagaoolala/ Youku/ Viki