This review may contain spoilers
Why such a low rating?
In my personal opinion, this drama rating should be much higher. When you do a review, it's not about your taste of drama. You got to break it down. This drama is not about # of kissing scenes, spoil rich kids bullying the FL/ML, or revenge. It's about lesson in life.Length of the drama; 24 episodes are perfect. Chinese drama tends to be too long.
Casting: Perfect. Both ML and FL grown up version look like their child version. They even add a mode on his nose. The ML looks matches his living condition between pamper vs hard working.
Acting: I think everybody play their part very well. Some of comments did think it was not the best ML work. Remember, he is supposed to play sad trouble kid. All these kids are supposed to be teenager. If you had been teenager before, remember how sensitive you were. Little issue was seems like a big issue. Now I am much older and have children of my own, I have more patience and compassion; I can see their point of view.
Story: This drama is on a dark side. This hit so many psychology issues: parenting style, grieving, friendship, Financial struggle, etc...
- Different parenting style: Parents have tendency to compare sibling and to other children. They also push their children to do their best. It's like they show their love through the children's success. This is especially in Asian cultures. You can see how it effect the children mental health. FL grow up in a loving family; she turned out to be stable, strong, high self esteem, and most importance of all, compassion.
- Friendship: Some comments said the FL is obsessive. I think it's about friendship helping each other. If one of her friends is in the same suggestion as the ML, I feel that she would reach out to help also. She has compassion and see through the issue ML.
- Closed to real life issue: No rich family, no fancy cars, no body dress like the just step out of glamour magazine, financial struggle. I'm glad the ML can be saved. If this is Korean or Western drama, the ending most likely will be different. In real life, not everybody can be saved. Not everybody is fortunately enough to have friend reach out to help.
To Parents: I recommend watching this drama. Our action effects our children and their children for the rest of their lives. We can only guide them; we can not force them to live our life. Don't make your dream become their.
To Young people: I recommend watching this drama also. Focus on friendship. The world will be better if you help each other.
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Cherry: The Light That Conquered the Darkness
In Our Generation, amidst grief, fractured families, and the shadows of loss, the character of Cherry shines as one of the most remarkable female leads to grace the screen. Where so many stories present a male lead who fights the world for the woman he loves, here the roles are reversed—and therein lies both the beauty and the controversy.Cherry’s love is not fleeting, nor does it depend on declarations or reciprocation. She does not wait for affirmation; she knows. From the moment she stepped into Jiang Qiao Xi’s broken world, she became the steady hand that pulled him from the abyss into the light of day. With her quiet devotion, she offered him something his wealth and family could not: the constancy of love that asked for nothing in return.
In an era that celebrates the “move on” philosophy, Cherry dared to remain steadfast. She did not trade loyalty for convenience, nor affection for comfort. Everything she felt for him—every memory of shared meals, sunsets, fireworks, or the simple joy of raising a bunny together—became the very fabric of Jiang Qiao Xi’s strength. Her presence taught him that he was not defined by tragedy, nor doomed to solitude.
To some, her devotion may seem outdated, but to others it is the purest expression of love: unwavering, patient, and transformative. Cherry came, she believed, and she conquered—not with force, but with a heart that never wavered.
If anything, Jiang Qiao Xi’s hesitation was not a lack of love, but the humility of a man who feared he could not give her the life she deserved. He respected her freedom, never binding her in ways she could not escape, even acknowledging the comfort she might have found in Yu Qiao’s steadier world. That restraint was not hostility, but reverence.
So while critics may call Cherry’s devotion blind or Jiang Qiao Xi’s distance cold, I see something far more poignant: a story where the female lead’s constancy is not weakness, but triumph. In the end, Cherry’s love was not hostage-taking, but a liberation—the dawn that forever outshone his darkest night.
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1This review may contain spoilers
The romanticization of the self-sacrificial heroine must stop !!!
This drama is a real danger for young women who seek inspiration through dramas. Here, the show normalizes and glamorizes the fact that a woman decides not to choose herself, not to prioritize herself, for the sake of a man's well-being.If QiaoXi had truly loved YingTao with a pure and strong love, he would never have held her hostage. He would not have fueled YingTao's perseverance to continue waiting for him and finding him.
QiaoXi is a coward and a hypocrite, his character is really realistic tho, don't get me wrong, most people would have behave like he did. He had legitimate reasons for being so, but that doesn't change the nature of his actions and choices.
He tried to make her understand why he gave up on her, saying it was because he was too ashamed of what he had become, that leaving her was for her own good blablabla ...
But in reality, he's a very self-centered person, who displayed ambiguity that was detrimental to YingTao's well-being simply so that he could keep two options open for his very own well-being: keeping her in his life or abandoning her for good AKA breaking his heart or hers.
Yintao has such a strong love for QiaoXi that she couldn't bear to leave him behind (the taxi scene, episode 21), to see him destroyed because of her decision. QiaoXi couldn't do what she did. Why? Because that's what we expect from women, not men ...
YingTao acted like the mother he didn't have lmao, and it was cruel to watch, making sure he felt secure and loved in her presence no matter what ... But she wanted to be a lover, his lover and his insecurities even stole this dream of hers for so many years, having her instead chasing and showing a devotion for a man who didn't actually do the same.
It was so unfair. And most people actually focussed on how QiaoXi was feeling.
Of course, his life was very sad but you shouldn't mislead people to think because of how sad your life is, you can have the right to misbehave with someone who always had pure intentions for you. This is not fair. We all have to face our responsabilities and the consequences of our actions.
Please, women, don't sacrifice your time for a man who hesitates to keep you in his life. You deserve more than a man incapable of confronting his pride to preserve your love. You deserve someone who is determined to choose you no matter what !!!
The directing was pretty good (lovely shots especially in the beginning), the writing was bad, the editing and pacing were awful and probably the worst things about the drama.
They wasted a lovely chemistry. The acting wasn't bad but I wasn't impressed at all, they did the job I guess.
Barely anything was realistic and meaningful in the storytelling... youth, poverty, separations, friendships, the love story, the adult life... nothing looked real or even actually made through the spectrum of the age of the characters which was truly disappointing.
Was it a waste of time? Yes. I finished it cause I felt the need to have a closure.
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This review may contain spoilers
It had potential but the writting isn't it.
The plot is a mix of The First Frost, Hidden Love and Always Home. However a badly written version of all of them.The acting was great but the biggest problem is that the drama doesn't care to develop any character aside from YingTao (and even her feels undeveloped sometimes) and they kind of try with the male lead (but they fail quite miserably).
The love story feels off. On the first part of the drama (when they are kids) its sweet and makes sense why they like each other but after the time jump it feels weird YingTao still having a crush on ml after he was basically ghosted her and was rude to her. YingTao's crush borders on unhealthy!NSometimes it feels like she thinks the ml is a god, other times it seems like she can't let go of how he was in the past, And that makes it so hard to root for them! Like why is this girl so forgiving? Why does she making her life based around QiaoXi??
I understand QiaoXi is a character that is hard to write. And I think where the writters fell flat was when they decided to make his actions easly forgiven by fl. His actions aren't unforgivable (expecially when you discover the background behind them) but he only explains when sh*t hit the fan and he needs to say sorry and that doesn't feel chartastic to the audience that mainly saw the fl sufering because it doesn't show him thinking and regretting his decisions. And when it does show him regretting something is to quick.
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A waste of such a talented cast!
I was SO excited to watch this show, because it had the same leads as The Princess Royal. The actors had such great chemistry in The Princess Royal and I had been waiting for this show to see them together again.And this show completely failed to meet any of my expectations.
NOTE: These are just my opinions! You don't have to like/agree with anything I said, because I'm just one person. These reviews are for me to look back on more than anything.
The story was bad. The actors seemed to have zero chemistry (which isn't the case, seeing as how they were flawless in The Princess Royal). The characters were all weak and even pathetic (with the exception of Yu Qiao). The conflicts were cliche and it seemed like they were just there to give the show SOME substance.
My issues with the show:
A. No romantic build-up. Yingtao and Qiao Xi both liked each other as children and those feelings stayed strong even as teenagers. However, this meant we got no explanation as to WHY they liked each other. Yingtao liked him even after years of him not contacting her. It was very obvious that they both liked each other. Without giving anything away, the only signs I saw of Qiao Xi liking Yingtao was him SAYING it. I did not see it through his actions in the second part of the show. When they finally got together, it was basically because Yingtao coaxed him into it and led him like he was a baby? It didn't even seem like he WANTED any of it. I honestly would have thought he just got into a relationship with her because she liked him so much and he felt bad. Their first kiss made me physically cringe.
B. Weak conflicts and plot. I do not exaggerate when I say literally nothing happened in this show. Like. Nothing. The main point of conflict was Qiao Xi's mother did not want him to befriend people from their old town. It was an interesting dynamic, for sure! But it was not deep or developed enough to be the only point of conflict. His mother's words eventually lead Qiao Xi to abandon his friends over and over and OVER again. That was it. Everything else was half-hearted. Even the second leads' love story barely had a conclusion. It honestly seemed like the writers did not care about this show at all. One-dimensional characters, half-hearted plots, cliche and predictable conflicts, etc.
C. Weak characters. The most interesting character in this show was Qiao Xi, and he frustrated me every episode. Yingtao was the most flat character I've encountered in a c-drama in a while, and I was extremely disappointed, Her entire character revolved around Qiao Xi, Qiao Xi, Qiao Xi. She left her friends for Qiao Xi, she neglected herself for Qiao Xi, she compromised her own future at times for Qiao Xi. He obviously cared about her, but he didn't do a great job of showing it throughout the whole show and left her several times. But she went back to him EVERY SINGLE TIME. She saved up her hard-earned money to go find him when he was trying to hide from her. Yingtao was an extremely disappointing character. She had nothing outside of her love from Qiao Xi. It's frustrating to see female leads who completely revolve around male leads in 2025.
D. The resolution. This show ended exactly how I thought it would: resolution within a single episode after twenty episodes of meaningless conflict and basically nothing. A happy ending, for sure. But it was just such a let down. I had been hoping for some actual substance to the plot in the final moments of the show, but we didn't get anything.
There weren't many things I actually liked about this show. I LOVED the cast, obviously. I watched this show for them. As I mentioned earlier, any chemistry they had in Our Generation was minimal. It might have been because The Princess Royal had a very different plot that involved the leads being together more, but the leads in Our Generation were together often and yet it was incredibly awkward. I genuinely think this was all just because of the horrible plot and characters. I was so excited for this show and I'm disappointed. I will be supporting Zhang Linghe and Zhao Jinmai's future works eagerly and hope they will act in another drama together.
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1
1It really should have been 10 episodes
Our Generation is the kind of show that feels like it was written by chatgpt and never edited by a sentient creature. Some say that the show suffered because of the extreme editing it underwent, apparently it was supposed to be 40 episodes and after the editing process it became 24, but aren’t the best parts of the show supposed to be preserved in order to deliver a “quality” product?While I was never overly excited about it, I was hoping this drama would be the one that made up for all of the trespasses The Princess Royal committed. However, the show quickly becomes a painfully long mess, a dumpster fire, if you will; plagued by unlikeable characters, zero chemistry between the leads, and dialogue that feels like it was written by a lovesick teenager for a wattpad novel. This results in this being Zhang Ling He’s worst drama to date. I never want to watch this couple pairing again and it almost, almost, makes me want to retake The Best Thing and finish it, just so I can cleanse my soul from this mess .
At 24 episodes, this show drags its feet through scenes that add nothing, say nothing, and that leave you feeling numb. So numb that at one point I asked, "is this what having a lobotomy feels like?". It really should have been 10 episodes. The writing tries so hard to be “relatable” and “deep,” but instead gives a severe case of brain rot, forcing you to question why you started it and why you are still watching.
There’s no emotional payoff and no real reason to care about the characters or what is going on in the story. So, you’re just left with characters who are either irritating, extremely unlikeable, and/or completely forgettable, and a story that confuses obsession and compulsion for everlasting love.
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Just FL having no backbone
I was really looking forward to this drama especially since we would get to be seeing ZLH and ZJM tgt again but the story was just not it for me. Her being so hung up on a boy she knew for a little over 6 months and throwing basically her whole life away for him was just dissapointing to see. I am not disregarding his struggles and what not but i don't get why she's so stuck on a boy who dropped her not once but twice. But the biggest problem and might i say the downfall of the whole series, was the episode cut. The story would've been so much better had show been 40 episodes as planned. Bc of the episode cut everything felt empty and rushed. It seemed like we were missing so much. To close off, all i could say is this show had crazy potential it just didnt reach the expectations i hadWas this review helpful to you?
Disappointed me, although i was excited for this drama.
The problem with this drama is the portrayal of characters and predictable plotlines, the male lead's character unlikable and the female lead's character attachment to him baffling.Male Lead's character lacking in integrity and decisiveness, making him difficult to sympathize with, even considering his difficult family situation.
The drama relies on common tropes and lacks fresh twists, particularly in its portrayal of youth and school life, there is also a lack of balance and depth in the writing, particularly in the portrayal of the female lead character.
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WASTE OF TIME
Our Generation a chinese drama that tried to adapt a novel but failed to deliver in the end. This is one of my favorite novels. When I heard it is getting adapated into a drama I was excited. Then I watched the drama and just roll my eyes. A good novel is ruined yet again because these drama producers can't adapt a novel properly.24 episodes is a complete waste of time. It was so boring and a drag to watch. I was sticking out only to see if it will improve but it only got worst. They ruined the characters they made Yingtao a brainless and obsessed female lead who chase after Qiaoxi without showing proper development on why she is so inlove with him anyway. It is ridiculous. Qiaoxi on the other hand, I don't even know what to say about his character it is hard to understand because they didn't explain his character trauma well he turned into a toxic ML.
What irritate me most is there were a lot of filler scenes. It is far from the novel. This drama adaptation is so bad. They really ruined Yingtao and Qiaoxi character in the novel. They ruined my favorite novel.
The script is mediocre. Editing is choppy. Ost? Forgettable. Chemistry is non existent they are like siblings with Yingtao being a baby. Acting is so-so but Zhao Jinmai most of the time is irritating to watch. No microexpression on her face at all she is only staring with her big eyes couldn't feel any emotion the 2nd female lead actress is better at acting than her.
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very disapointed
was extremely disappointed in this show. While I had high hopes going in, it quickly became clear that My Generation sends a harmful and outdated message — especially to younger viewers.The portrayal of the female lead constantly chasing after a man who shows little to no interest was frustrating and, frankly, embarrassing. It reinforces the idea that a woman's worth is tied to male validation, which is not only untrue but damaging. Young girls need to see strong, independent characters who understand that there's more to life than pursuing someone who is clearly not reciprocating.
In 2025, we should be promoting self-respect, ambition, and emotional maturity — not desperation masked as romance. Disappointing and out of touch.
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What a major disappointment
The minute this show was announced I was excited. Two top stars, yes please. Oh boy was I wrong. Too long. Bad writing.Skippable in so many parts.
This show was not it. All that attempt in the last episode to redeem evil and toxic hateful characters, one of which contributed to the complete mess ML ended up in with her abuse, I’m sorry but no CDRAMA LAND, its not and never will be ok.
The redeeming qualities of this drama are the side characters. What a wonderful friend group. The community of the supportive adults. Love seeing this as bad parenting is usually the norm. Script tries real hard to make you hate ML, and his turn around was unnaturally fast. What a big disappointment this was. Glad its over.
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This review may contain spoilers
Great Cast, Wasted on a Weak Plot
I have to admit, as much as I’m a huge fan of Zhang Linghe, I need to stay objective—this drama just isn’t it. 😩 He truly deserves a project with better writing and direction.At first, I was excited, but Our Generation quickly turned into a disappointment. I can’t tell if it’s because TikTok spoiled too many scenes or simply because the storyline itself is poorly written. The plot becomes weaker with every episode, making it hard to stay engaged.
The casting, however, is excellent. Zhang Linghe and Zhao Jinmai both deliver strong performances, but even their talent can’t save a storyline that’s overly predictable and full of clichés. There are so many other dramas out there that feel far more worth watching.
Overall:
⭐ 5/10 – A drama with a great cast, but dragged down by bad writing and an uninspired, predictable plot.
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