Still Shining Episode 10 Review: A Lost Ending

In the 9th episode, Tae-seo’s grandmother gets better and life seems to be back on track for him. Eun-a focusses on her guesthouse and things seemingly go good. A-sol asks Tae-seo to pretend they’re dating so she can have her first breakup that feels warm.

Still Shining Episode 10 has a runtime of 60 minutes.

The series has 10 episodes, with two episodes dropping every Friday at 8.20 PM IST.

Still Shining Episode 10 Recap

The finale begins with Tae-seo and Eun-a accidentally meeting by the lake. As she explains, saying she came to see the fireflies, a car honks, and we see A-sol and Tae-seo’s best friend calling him to join for dinner. Seeing A-sol, Eun-a leaves. Both the friend and A-sol wondered from a distance who Tae-seo was talking to.

The following morning, Eun-a’s grandmother tells Tae-seo that Eun-a has left with a broken bicycle and has been missing. Tae-seo, on knowing where she’d be, goes to their school and finds her there. Eun-a reveals to him that she came to Yeonwoo to bid him farewell as she’s leaving for Hawaii to live with So-hyeon. Later that night, Tae-seo calls Eun-a and asks why she chose So-hyeon.

He also asks about that night when he misunderstood her with Seong-chan, and she tearfully tells him he shouldn’t have worried about it. After the call, A-sol arrives, and Tae-seo goes out to drink with her. They then watch a movie together. Eun-a comes to Seoul to cover her friend’s shift, and she decides to meet Tae-seo. However, as she goes to his apartment, she sees A-sol opening his door, and this prompts her to leave, thinking A-sol is now close enough with Tae-seo to know the passcode to his place.

Regardless, Tae-seo visits Eun-a that night at Yeonwoo, and they visit her late father’s home. They both sit for a talk and reminisce about their future plans, and they tearfully realise how much they still worry about each other. Post this, the following day, when A-sol comes to get her stuff, she gets a call from her mother about her sick father.

Tae-seo sits beside her at her tough point. This is when A-sol reveals the passcode incident and apologises for it. She then asks Tae-seo for the breakup, and they go for a walk, ending their so-called relationship. We then glimpse A-sol and her love for Tae-seo since school. On the other side, Seong-chan calls Eun-a, and they peacefully end their misunderstandings and bid one last farewell.

As the days near, Tae-seo decides to drop Eun-a off at the airport. As they both go to the airport, Tae-seo sends her pictures of Seoul and tells her this is where his future lies. He tearfully sends her a text stating that wherever she is, if she wants to see a future with him, he’s just one call away. At the airport, they share one last hug and depart.

Years pass, and Tae-seo is still a train driver in Seoul whilst Eun-a is in Hawaii. Tae-seo takes care of Eun-a’s late father’s home and waits for her, if she ever decides to come back.

Still Shining Episode 10 Review

This finale feels frustratingly bleh. There’s no grand reunion, no tearful confession that sorts out things but rather the series is a bunch of missed timings, quiet misunderstandings, and choices that don’t quite align. Tae-seo and Eun-a clearly still love each other, yet they keep running away from each other due to silly reasons. The airport goodbye feels empty. Even A-sol’s arc, though tender and sincere, adds to that sense of emotional clutter rather than resolution. It’s almost as if the story refuses to reward the audience with closure, choosing realism over satisfaction. I wonder whether this is realism at all.

And yet, there’s something quietly beautiful about that very emptiness. Life doesn’t always tie things up neatly, and this ending embraces it. Tae-seo waiting, holding onto a future that may never arrive, and Eun-a building a life far away, it’s melancholic, but also honest. The drama leaves us with a soft, aching kind of hope, the kind that isn’t loud or certain but lingers gently.

Also read: 

• Still Shining Episode 9 Review: Uninteresting and Boring
• Still Shining Season 1 Review