1However, They All met again together in 2006, in their high school Era ; &The story starts to unfold. In the high school arc,the viewers see the extent of Jiang Qiaoxi's Mom's character, how abusively controlling she has been to her son in his whole life.She is one of the worst Moms ever portrayed in cdramas..At this point,Jiang Qiaoxi had always had a long-term goal in his life: to escape his home, the city, and his past of living as a substitute of his late brother in his own family.
3rd arc comes with Our Qunshan squads being in their young adulthood,when they are 20 years old,all in their different Majors in universities,some abroad & some in different cities.This arc is what Romance lovers will be particularly looking forward to,as the main leads finally got together after so much ups & downs in their life.
The 4th arc continues from the 3rd arc & shows their gradual growth towards adulthood. When i was reading the novel for the first time,The Ending chapters gave me so much warmth & comfort,seeing them gradually reaching 30s, & the bond of their families still as strong as ever, the Friendships even stronger.
[Special Mention : The childhood arc,although It lasted only one episode,My Applause for these Child actors who performed Sooo in-depth & incredibly well ]
Tbh i cried each & every episode till now, even if It's not a drama with a heavy plot.I'm a late 90s kid,but i could relate with a lot of things the leads were going through..The emotional depth of the story & characters are on point, the actors were almost perfect portraying that depth as well.In the End, It becomes a story of courage & independence,of family & parents,and education, and most importantly, of LOVE.
As I'm Someone who hold my friends in high regard,just like Lin yingtao...i can ensure you, if you are someone who values friendship above everything else,& chase the people you care about, Chase & care them as much as you chase your dreams & goals,this drama is for you.Their journey of 30 years will tear you up,& their happy ending will make you immensely happy & content.
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This review may contain spoilers
Overall, this drama was actually quite enjoyable to watch. I found the plot itself interesting, although some aspects could have been handled better.As for the main couple — Lin Qi Le & Jiang Qiao Xi — I absolutely loved their acting performances and have no complaints about them. Their on-screen chemistry was wonderful, and I genuinely liked the foundation of their relationship. I never doubted their love for each other, but at some point, the relationship simply started to look unhealthy. The concept of her chasing after him could still have worked somehow (even though at times it felt outright desperate), but for me, the biggest issue was that after two years she went to find him and immediately forgave him for disappearing without a word right after kissing her and cutting off contact for two years. After that, she was still the one chasing after him, and I never got the feeling that, even for a moment, the effort and pursuit shifted onto him — which it absolutely should have. And it’s not like the drama didn’t have enough time to show that. We got four pointless episodes about her life without contact with him, and that amount of screentime was simply unnecessary. Still, to avoid sounding completely negative, I did enjoy watching their relationship later on — just like during their high school years. Personally, I also liked the ending with their younger versions.
I think the storyline involving his family was genuinely interesting — although obviously difficult. For most of the drama, it was handled really well. However, I do think the aftermath regarding his parents could have been explored better — for example, whether his mother ever started getting treatment. At the same time, I’m glad that, especially with his mother, he ultimately did not repair their relationship, because it added realism. Honestly, I would’ve even liked a scene where it was made much more explicit that he had permanently cut ties with her, confronting her about everything. I also think the storyline surrounding his brother’s death could have been developed far better, because I still keep wondering what actually happened to him. Did he really commit suicide? The same issue applies to the storyline about his cousin’s accident. What happened to the person who pushed him off the roof? Was it that former employee? Why didn’t he pay for the medical treatment — either before or afterward? Why did the financial burden fall entirely on the family, and why wasn’t it even suggested later that they would fight for compensation? So many questions and very few answers, which is why I think this storyline was simply poorly handled — or maybe it was just forced into the plot.
One major positive was her parents. They were wonderful people and genuinely made me smile whenever they appeared on screen.
Moving on to the other characters — I absolutely loved Yu Qiao with all my heart. To me, he was the best character in the entire drama. I wasn’t rooting for him to end up with the female lead (my love for Zhang Ling He won there), but despite that, I still think he would have been the better choice for Lin Qi Le because he was simply an amazing person, and there were many moments when I genuinely felt sorry for him. I rooted for him individually and hoped he would eventually find happiness, but unfortunately, that never happened.
Naturally, I also have to mention Qin Ye Yun. At first, I hoped she would end up with Yu Qiao. However, over time I realized that would’ve been a bad choice. It would have felt too much like, “Things didn’t work out with Lin Qi Le, so I’ll just settle for you instead,” so I’m glad that didn’t happen. I also hoped her storyline with the pilot guy would be developed further, but unfortunately it never was. Aside from that, I did grow to like her character over time. In the beginning, though, she really irritated me because she took out her jealousy on the female lead, who had done absolutely nothing wrong even though they were supposedly friends.
The last character I’ll mention is Cen Xiao Man. Under normal circumstances, I probably wouldn’t even talk about her because she was an extremely irritating character who constantly raised my blood pressure, but I actually liked her reunion with the female lead years later and the way it showed that she had matured, so I’ll count that as a positive too.
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Perpetual state of golden hour.
I loved the beautifully lit cinematography, the romantic lighting, and the perpetual state of golden hour... :pI usually avoid watching teenage/highschool romance because it often feels weird to me. Sometimes they're just plainly unrelatable. And sometimes there's a lot of directors/writers that throw in a highschool setting into a story that would work way better for adult characters, not to mention the creepy directors that project their predatory gaze into these kinda shows (hello hollywood, hello sam levinson..) But this show was not even close to any of that. It felt like the showmakers created this out of a deeply beloved nostalgia, and maybe even one they felt after becoming parents themselves, because some scenes, like the ones with Qin Ye Yun's dad, felt like they came from a parental perspective..
I found it really touching how this brings up economical and class struggles.
I know a lot of people dislike the ML/Jiang Qiao Xi, and even tho I don't agree with his actions, I see where he's coming from. I thought his character was beautifully complex, and the shame he felt was very human.
This was also a confirmation for me that Zhang Linghe can really ACT. It's a shame some people dismiss his talent just because he's known for being good looking.
Overall, I really loved this drama and I think it deserves a much higher rating than the current one.
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Not worth watching at all totally different from novel
This drama is totally different from novelNovel is far more batter and intresting drama is fucking irriting i like the actress thats i watching this other wise they twist the whole story this is frustrating for novel reader's only the name remain same otherwise totally different novel is cute not cringe drama is all about fucking friends and they deliberately trying to create love triangle.
There is nothing like in novel
Only lead actor's are good
Rest of supporting cast is annoying most important if you had read the novel i recommend don't watch it you will be disappointe
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A beautifully heavy drama that shallow-minded people wouldnt appreciate.
I recently saw a comment that perfectly captures their story: "If Lin Yingtao hadn’t been brave enough to fight for their love, Jiang Xiaoqi would have missed out on the greatest love of his life."This says it all. I never saw Yingtao as someone simply chasing a guy; their feelings were always mutual and balanced. The real struggle lay with Xiaoqi. Between his family burdens and a pride that kept him from showing his vulnerable side, he felt forced to take the long, lonely road of self-improvement. Thankfully, Yingtao was there to prove that she loved him regardless of his imperfections. She provided the balance he lacked, making them truly perfect for one another.
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Blunt storyline and misfit cast pairing for main lead
When I came across the drama, i thought it will be a good one since it encompasses the areas of friendship, growth and relationships. The first few episodes was going well but suddenly it's jst becomes too stretched and i could barely hooked on to further episodes since it becames too cliche.I didn't like the female lead being so Air headed, letting her life revolves around a guy's decision and really got annoyed when she literally pushed herself to be in the ml situation when even he himself is navigating to move forward.
I feel like the main lead was too old for the pairing and the raw essence of childhood and teen was missing. His character overall I'll say lacked a lot of development since it was too one subject minded.
The drama itself was too long and the plot development was terrible and wasn't smthng i was literally hooked to watch.
Really disappointed
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bad story great acting
سریال خوشگلیه مخصوصا قسمتای اولش.بازیا هم واقعااا خوبن و اصلا مصنوعی نیست.
ولی نویسندگیش تو نیمه دوم سریال واقعا ناامیدکننده بود. حیف شد یه جورایی
نمیدونم اینکه میگن قرار بوده ۴۰ قسمت باشه بعد ۲۴ قسمت شده درسته یا نه. اگر اینجوری بوده احتمالا برای همین یه سری صحنههای بیفایده داره. البته که با این نویسندگی و این قصه خداروشکر که ۴۰ قسمتی نبود
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“Not perfect in pacing, but perfect in emotions.”
Our Generation is a warm and emotional coming-of-age drama that takes us through the lives of Cherry (Lin Qi Le) and Jiang Qiao Xi — from their childhood innocence to the struggles of growing up and falling in love.The early episodes showing their childhood are especially touching, making you feel like you’re growing up with them. The drama captures the sweetness of first love, the comfort of friendship, and the bittersweet pain of separation.
What makes it special is its nostalgic, slice-of-life tone — it doesn’t rely on big twists, but instead on small, heartfelt moments that feel real. The acting of the child and young leads leaves a lasting impact, and the atmosphere is warm and relatable.
On the downside, the romantic chemistry between the leads feels a little weak, and the pacing sometimes suffers because the story was cut down to 24 episodes. Some moments feel rushed, especially in the later part of the show.
👉 Final Verdict: Our Generation is not a perfect drama, but it’s a heartfelt one. If you enjoy stories about youth, friendship, and first love with a nostalgic touch, this is a beautiful watch that stays with you.
✨ Our Generation isn’t about dramatic twists or grand romance — it’s about the quiet, simple moments that shape who we are. It reminds us of childhood laughter, bittersweet first love, and the friendships that guide us through growing up.
While the pacing feels a bit rushed and the romance chemistry isn’t always strong, the drama shines with its warmth, nostalgia, and emotional depth.
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This review may contain spoilers
Slowburn drama that’s so slow it forgets where it’s headed
Our Generation is a slow-burn character study about youth — first crushes, academic pressure, and the awkward stretch from small-town innocence into the messier world of adulthood. At its core Our Generation is a collection of realistic moments of how childhood memories can grow into something that transcends time and distance.The best part
Zhang Linghe as aloof math genius Jiang Qiaoxi, is why you want to see this. I’ve been following him since Love Between Fairy and Devil, but this is the first contemporary drama of his I’ve watched. (I know I know there’s The Best Thing). He’s extremely talented — while he shines in idol and costume dramas, his subtle performance here is a real standout and feels different from his more popular roles. I liked that the creators didn’t just throw his “face card” at us to distract from character development. He isn’t scared to be shown in an unflattering light here. And I respect an actor with entire image built on his looks attempting to do something different for a change. And that honesty might be the best part of the drama, that tired, beaten down young man in Hong Kong stretch of episodes. If for nothing else (and there is truly nothing else), the drama is probably worth watching for Zhang Linghe’s performance alone.
Zhao Jinmai as Yingtao is good, but I’m not a big fan overall. Her performance here doesn’t measure up to her work in The Princess Royal, which I enjoyed much more because she was actually convincing there. In Our Generation there are really great emotional moments where she lands the feelings like a blow, but her overall portrayal as a high school girl didn’t fully convince me and it was a little hard to watch at times. It’s like you can tell it’s a grown woman acting as a little girl. I don’t think she’s cut out for those roles. She has her strengths elsewhere. Still, I like Zhao Jinmai in this drama better than in Shine on Me. Plus the emotional scenes between her and Zhang Linghe when they are both playing adults is where she really packs a mean punch.
There are lot of interesting supporting characters, but this is also the drama’s one of biggest issue. Some supporting roles got a lot of screen time while others felt like they were there just for the sake of having supporting characters. The stories weren’t distributed evenly across the gang. A lot of stories had foundation, but nothing ever came out of that foundation. I wish the drama had either stayed tightly focused on the main couple or actually distributed storylines evenly among the whole group.
I liked the family dynamics between in Yingtao and her parents. I liked how they were contrasted with Jiang Qiaoxi’s completely opposite family dynamics to showcase why he is the way he is. It’s an understanding and loving family against a dysfunctional family that doesn’t remember what it means to be a family. Still I wish they showed his parents at the end asking for forgiveness, even for a second, especially his mother. There was so much emphasis on her broken relationship with her son at the beginning of the drama that it felt strange not to have their story come full circle.
Pacing is the biggest problem
The show has a really strong foundation, but it drags. And I mean it. You can skip through minutes and minutes of dialogue and still not miss anything crucial to the plot. Yes, this is mostly character-driven rather than plot-driven — slice-of-life youth vibes for the most part — but the pacing still hurts the overall impact. Stretching the high-school portion of their lives across so many episodes and leaving only a handful of episodes for their adult reconnection does the story a huge disservice.
The drama does have a great ending — you get butterflies — but the last couple of episodes feel almost like a different drama: faster paced, upbeat, with comic relief we hardly see earlier. That tonal shift is jarring but it does leave you satisfied.
Bottom line
If anything, watch this drama for Zhang Linghe’s performance. I skipped quite a lot, and his acting was the only reason I powered through. There is plot, but it’s paper thin and nothing new and so much screen time could have been just taken out and it wouldn’t affect the plot one bit. The show has real heart and honest moments, but uneven supporting arcs and painfully slow pacing keep it from being great. Still, when it works, it really works — just be ready to grit through long stretches to get there. Or skip. In the end, it’s hard to say if the show is trying to be a youth drama, a family drama or a romance.
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3rd collaboration pls
friendship,family,love story sobrang ganda nakakaiyak..happy ending..🥰😍🥰😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😋😋😋😋😋😋🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰😍😍😍😍😍😍🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲😍😍😍🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰😍😍😍🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍Was this review helpful to you?
Achievement and Money Is Not Matter In Love
The story is about a young man who can't freely do anything because got stricted by his mother. His mother wants him to be the best achiever in everything, especially math. But the problem is that the young man is seperated to their childhood friend that later on they meet.There is a young woman that actually already fall in love with him since child but he's gone at new year party and never meet him again after several years later. Then there are lot of incident happened to the young man, That's where the story becomes interesting.
True love will be shown in several last episode :)
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So much potential, and somehow still a disappointment
It's honestly baffling to me that this drama was released in 2025. I watched it in mid-2026 assuming it was an older production because the cinematography and visual presentation feel noticeably dated. The shots, framing, and editing just don't look like a drama released that recently. It had so much potential, but unfortunately, the execution and writing fell well below my standards.Let me start with what I actually liked. I really enjoyed the Qushan closed-community setting and the idea of following these kids as they grow up while dealing with their respective family problems. There was so much material here that could have made for a compelling coming-of-age story. I honestly wish the drama had spent more time exploring each family and their dynamics instead of putting so much emphasis on the frustrating romance between Lin Ying Tao and Jiang Qiao Xi.
I know some people might find Jiang Qiao Xi's unwavering pursuit of Lin Ying Tao romantic, but to me, it mostly felt like frustrated love. As a romantic partner, Jiang Qiao Xi is a walking red flag, especially because he keeps falling into that avoidant pattern I absolutely hate. This man ghosted her for years, not once but twice, across decades. And somehow we're supposed to believe that a pure childhood romance from when they were around ten was enough to sustain all of that? I just don't buy it. And what exactly was so special about their childhood relationship? I didn't see it. Their memories weren't particularly romantic or memorable to me, and Lin Ying Tao seemed to have equally meaningful relationships with her other male friends. On the other hand, I can understand why Jiang Qiao Xi could have fallen helplessly for her because she was the only warm and memorable part of his childhood, and perhaps the first person who truly saw him for who he was. Fine. That's actually a decent emotional foundation. But instead, the writing turned Lin Ying Tao into someone whose main purpose was to give Jiang Qiao Xi the love he supposedly needed. duh.
And let's talk about the pacing. This is an incredibly slow romance with nothing to burn. I watched most of the drama with my finger on the fast-forward button. 😂 It clearly wanted to be a complicated coming-of-age story about love, family, and growing up, but the writing never managed to make me emotionally invested in any of it.
I also have mixed feelings about Zhang Ling He. While I appreciate him stepping outside his usual image and taking on a role that required more emotional complexity, some of the more emotionally demanding scenes felt beyond his range at that stage of his career. Still, points for trying. And can we please retire Zhang Ling He from high school roles? The man does not look like a high school student anymore. Although I will admit, the messy hair and tanned look did something for me. He looked much more relatable than his usual cool-prince persona. Dare I say... hotter.
Ultimately, what frustrates me most is how much potential was wasted. I already liked Zhang Ling He and Zhao Jin Mai's chemistry in The Princess Royal, unfortunately, even good chemistry can't compensate for writing that doesn't give the characters enough reason to make their relationship compelling. And I'm still annoyed that the second couple didn't get their happy ending.
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