Our Generation

Soft, but heavy

A beautiful and moving series. Perhaps it generates a little too much frustration. The story is beautiful, the acting even more so. It has a soft atmosphere, but at the same time it is heavy and at times painful. It shows various aspects of life, in particular how we can change, succeed, fail, feel lonely and inadequate in a world that demands so much, when in the end the problem is that WE don't accept ourselves.
It shows the importance of presence, both in family life and in friendships and relationships. I was disappointed that the relationship with the protagonist's family was not explored in more depth at the end, given that it played a fundamental role in the first half of the series.

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I really liked the drama, despite the dramatic plot. It's all about childhood friendships, school years, and growing up.
Cherry suffered a lot while chasing after Jiang Qiao, but despite everything, they still found their way to each other. Ling He perfectly portrayed Jiang Qiao's difficult period in life. His character had his own reasons for doing what he did, and his childhood was challenging, so it's understandable that he didn't want to involve Cherry in all of this. But it was so hard for Cherry during this period, she was completely in the dark.
The ending is beautiful and happy, but it would have been nice to have one more episode to show more happy moments.
I really enjoyed the friendship between the characters, they always stuck together and supported each other!

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Our Generation: A youth, Growth, Heartbreaking, Yet Healing Story✨♥️

The first half of this drama is absolutely full of teenage vibes. I really adore the friendship within the Qunshan gang. The atmosphere they created reminded me so much of what pure, youthful friendship feels like. The kind where you just want to protect and support your friends no matter what. It makes you believe that as long as there’s someone behind you who believes in you, who cares about you, you can get through anything. The Qunshan friendship truly makes you believe that “human love” can be that beautiful😌✨💗

I really loved Yingtao’s character. The way Zhao Jinmai portrayed her captured that essence of a 16-year-old girl perfectly. Her little gestures, her reactions, the way she talk, the way she loves, it took me back to that feeling of having a crush as a teenager😳👉🏻👈🏻 You know... when just making eye contact is enough to make your heart race, and you can’t wait for tomorrow just to see that person again. That kind of innocent, overwhelming feeling.

For Qiaoxi, at first, I didn’t really like his character. Just like Qin Yeyun said, I thought he was a bit of a coward. But after watching eps 12, seeing Qiaoxi finally let out all his pain completely broke my heart💔 Once you understand how heavy his life has been—how he’s been controlled his entire life, forced to live in someone else’s shadow, living a life that is technically his but never truly felt like his own—you can’t help but feel sorry for him. Because, who wouldn’t become a coward in that situation? Who wouldn’t break under that kind of pressure? Who wouldn’t lose control of themselves?

Qiaoxi, I forgive your avoidant attitude because if it were me, I would do the same thing🫂

And Qiaoxi’s mother… I know she’s broken, trapped in her past, living with loss and pain. Her heart can no longer be whole as before. But Qiaoxi was never meant to replace someone else. I tried to empathize, but I really couldn’t accept her actions. Losing a child is heartbreaking, but it doesn’t make it right to becoming overly control freak to the point she destroying another child’s life. She’s simply too toxic🙅🏻‍♀️⛔

Next, I really appreciate how Yuqiao and Qin Yeyun were written. They’re not the typical characters who turn “evil” just because their love isn’t returned. Instead, they remain rational, kind, and human🌬️ Yuqiao loves Yingtao, but because he knows Yingtao loves Qiaoxi, he often helps her, even when it involves Qiaoxi. And Qin Yeyun, who loves Yuqiao, quietly accepts that her feelings aren’t returned and still maintains a good relationship with Yingtao, although she was a bit cold at first. So, it's like they push each other the person they like to chase the person themself like😌 That kind of emotional maturity is so refreshing to see✨ I love emotional intelligent person🧎🏻‍♀️

Actually, I love Yuqiao more than Qiaoxi lmao😌🤣🧎🏻‍♀️
Only Yingtao who can love Qiaoxi😌🥀

And...
The. Most. ✨PHENOMENAL PART✨ In. This. Drama.

THE HONGKONG ARC😭💔🥀🫂

Their raw acting, the feeling, the emotional breakdowns, tremble voices, ZLH with his worn-out look and broken aura, ZJM's desperate, they are peak! Zhao Jinmai’s tantrum is so intense. Every her word is something I want her to say. Every single line of dialogue in this arc hits hard.

Their acting gave me chills. This Hongkong arc made me raise up my rating from 8.5 to 9.0!💔👏🏻

Which is why THAT 7.9 RATING REALLY ANNOYS ME🧐😒 it deserves AT LEAST AN 8. In fact, both Zhang Linghe and Zhao Jinmai delivered outstanding performances here👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 (note: before watching Our Generation, I had already watched the drama The Princess Royal and I was amazed because I didn't see Linghe and Jinmai as their old characters but in these new characters).

From acting, plot, character development, to cinematography—this drama really doesn’t lack anything.

Oh, there are only two lacks on this drama.
First, I heard that it was originally supposed to be 40 episodes, but then it was cut down to 24😭 Why do good dramas always have a short duration, while dramas with ... always have a large number of episodes..
And the second, is the fact that I missed out on hyping this drama😖💔 when everyone else has finished hyping this drama, I just got in🥀

But it's okay. Because this drama didn’t just pass by—it stayed. It left a mark on my heart😌💯✨

This is a kind of drama that feels gentle on the surface, makes you nostalgic about how beautiful the pure feeling was🌬️🍃 but carries deep emotional weight underneath. If you love slice of life, youth, and growth stories, mixed with romance where there’s honestly more suffering than happiness😂💫 but still give you a "happy ending"—you’ll probably love this drama as much as I do.

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Nobody is flawless

People these days can't handle flawed characters, and that's why they hated this drama. From the moment it aired, people kept bashing it, so of course I was discouraged from watching it.

What a mistake would that be if I didn't give it a chance because I enjoyed it and absolutely loved it!

Both Qian xi, and Ying Tao are flawed characters. Qian Xi is selfish. Ying Tao is unhealthily obsessive.

The highschool years showed us how immature and childish they still were. They lived in this bubble, where they thought everything would went well after the grow up. But the college years showed us their development. Ying Tao found out that love isn't easy like in fairytales. Her roommate was a great example of that.

Qian Xi went from the highest top, to the lowest one. His was selfish for telling Ying Tao "Don't forget me." when he knew, he wouldn't see her again. But I believe he wanted at least one person to think of him in his hardest time. I understand that he had a pride, that he didn't want her to see him like this. His mother always wanted him to be perfect, and when you spend years in this illusion, you cannot simply get out of it.

You'll always think, you have to be perfect in order for people to like you, to love you. Otherwise, you're not worthy of them.

Their relationship is toxic, but beautiful. This drama is the proof of it.

Their love surpassed everything bad, and left only the good in their relationship.

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A Rollercoaster in a Teacup

Let’s talk about Our Generation (aka Ying Tao Hu Po, or Cherry Amber—sounds fancy, doesn’t it?). It’s a 24-episode Chinese coming-of-age romance that first aired in July 2025.

The Gist (Spoiler-light, promise!)
Lin Qi Le (enthusiastically played by Zhao Jinmai) is nicknamed Cherry. She brings sunshine wherever she goes—warm heart, mountain girl, total joy factory.
Enter Jiang Qiao Xi, the gloomiest transfer student ever—math genius, moody vibes, probably allergic to happiness.
Cherry’s family adopts him into their warmth brigade, and soon enough, he starts thawing like a block of ice on a sunny day.
They grow up, drift apart, then-plot twist-Cherry sends her childhood letters to his school. Cue gossip tornado in the city.
Heartbroken Cherry travels to find him, he denies knowing her publicly-ouch. Cue humiliation. Then, childhood friends rally around her, and her parents move to the big city so the whole gang can grow up together.
After all the drama, she finds him again, their feelings deepen, and -happy ending!

The Cast & Team Behind the Magic

Zhao Jinmai (Cherry)-beam of cuteness and determination.
Zhang Linghe (Jiang Qiao Xi)-cold on the surface, but we know better.
Fantastic supporting cast: Dong Jie (FL’s mum), Bao Jianfeng (FL’s dad), Dong Xuan (ML’s mum), Zhang Duo (ML’s dad), plus a squad of childhood pals: Yu Qiao, Qin Yeyun, Du Shang, Cai Fangyuan.
Directed by Zhang Kaizhou, written by Zeng Lu—the same team behind The Story of Ming Lan and Ode to Joy 2. Serious pedigree here.

Why It Feels Like a Tightrope Walk- but in the Best Way

This show is emotion overload in a gentle package: You’ll giggle at the endless energy Cherry brings.
Then -bam -you might find yourself sobbing when Qiao Xi ghosts her.
You’ll cheer at the reunion, fume at parental drama (his mum, moving him to Hong Kong? Why?!), and marvel at Cherry’s resilience.

And that EPILOGUE? A warm cup of closure that hits just right-no loose threads, just happy sighs.
“It’s like a circus walking on a tightrope.” There’s angst, there’s joy, there’s friendship so tender and messy and real. FL is adorable and raw, ML is… wow. Parent characters range from touching (hers) to exasperating (his)-and honestly, we all know a mum like his somewhere in real life.

A Silly Tidbit (For the Giggles)
If this drama were a dessert- it’d be your grandma’s secret-recipe pavlova:
**Cherry is the meringue: sweet, light, uplifting.
**Qiao Xi is the fruit compote: tart, unexpected, sneaks in flavor slowly.
**Supporting friends are the whipped cream: fluffy, comforting, just enough.
**Parents (some) are the crumbs that fall and annoy you- but hey, they keep it real.
**And all together? A treat with layers you never saw coming.

Final Thoughts: Our Generation is a simple, funny, tear-jerking, heart-warming ride. Cherry’s sunny spirit meets Qiao Xi’s storm, their lives twist, they unravel, then find each other again—on that tightrope of growing up. Every emotion plays in harmony.

Go watch it. Bring tissues, a snack, and your inner child ready for an adventure.
Rating: 9/10 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟💖

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《Our Generation(樱桃琥珀, 2025)》 - We Shape Ourselves Through Each Other

A Name That Became a Scar, and Then a Smile

“Lin Yingtao(=Lin Qile) had no interest in grades or anyone else. To her, there was only Jiang Qiaoxii.
The name that Qiaoxi’s father had given him carelessly was always bitter, a reminder of disdain and resentment.
But in Yingtao’s heart, those three syllables turned into something else—
like a poem, sweet and clear, her voice carrying a smile that softened the air whenever she called him.”
(Excerpt from the Original Novel)

His name, once nothing but a wound, was transformed by her into a moment of warmth.


The Weight of Memory, the First Consolation

Burdened by the shadow of his deceased brother, Jiang Qiaoxi’s grew up as a boy always waiting for love that never came.
To him, memory had always meant pain.
But in Lin Yingtao(=Qile)’s presence—honest, open, and brimming with affection—he discovered something new:
that memory could also be joy, and that being remembered did not always mean being trapped by sorrow.


The Meaning of a Name

To Qiaoxi, “Jiang Qiaoxi” was once nothing but a symbol of neglect,
of yearning for affection he never received.

But for Yingtao (=Qile), the same name meant something entirely different:
to bring happiness,
to guard a smile,
to make someone laugh.

The moment Qile’s naming turned into a gift,
she witnessed a quiet boy’s face come alive with color.
To her, it was more than a scene—
it was the first time she understood what it meant
to bring light into someone else’s life.
She saw what it meant
to breathe warmth into another person’s existence.


Fragmented Time and Memory

Their shared childhood became unforgettable precisely because it was a time when their identities had not yet hardened.
Open hearts and malleable senses made every moment indelible.
And when distance grew between them, memory was all that remained.
Letters became the way to hold onto those memories.
Even undelivered, they deepened the bond—
a fragile thread that connected two people across absence.


Growing Pains, and the First Shattering

But reunion did not bring comfort; it began with rupture.
For Lin Qile : entering a new environment meant rejection, jealousy, and rumor—wounds inflicted by the small society of adolescence.
For Jiang Qiaoxi: seeking a wider world only brought him into harsher walls of control and expectation.

Their affinity collided with the demands of the world, and each carried scars from the impact.


A Missed Gesture, A Deeper Wound

Jiang Qiaoxi thought ignoring her would protect her.
But silence and absence only erased her efforts,
turning his protection into betrayal.
The more urgently he tried to keep her safe, the more deeply Lin Qile was hurt.
When he said, “Let’s begin again with Qile,”
to her it sounded like erasing “Yingtao,” erasing the very years they had lived together.
And so she whispered that perhaps she would rather have known nothing at all.

Yet, in his clumsy teenage way, Jiang Qiaoxi finally began to close the distance—
admitting his loneliness, showing his longing,
and little by little, the bitterness between them started to loosen.


The Collision with Parents

“I didn’t get hurt because of a friend. I protected one.
I am becoming someone better than before.”
(Excerpt from the Drama)

But Jiang Qiaoxi’s growth came at the cost of clashing with his parents.
His parents, bound by guilt over their lost first son, placed all their hopes on the second.
They called it love, but it was chains.
What they could not let go of in the past, they forced onto the present.
When Jiang Qiaoxi began to resist, they blamed Lin Qile for changing him.
What they believed to be protection was in truth control.

And his rebellion against it set the stage for a deeper generational conflict.


From Novel to Screen

Compared to the novel, the drama sometimes falters in rhythm.
But by expanding the conflict from peer rivalry to parent-child struggle,
it widens the lens—
turning a story of youth into a story of generations.

What emerges is a narrative that is not only intense, but also tender—
a story where growth is inseparable from pain,
and where memory itself becomes both the wound and the healing.

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Beautiful story about different kinds of love

I have no idea why this does have better reviews. It’s a story about life and family and how different types of love are intertwined. Family is not always given but can be made of those you find yourself surrounded by and friendships can transcend selfish desires to truly become selfless. It’s beautiful and the chemistry is everywhere, between lovers, friends, family and even unrequited loves. It is definitely slower paced but that makes for well fleshed out characters and truly believable relationships. I’ve seen some say it was supposed to be longer, however I don’t know if this would have added to the plot in a positive way.

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Should've been longer

I've read articles about this drama that it was supposed to have 40 episodes, now that I have finished it I can see why.
The pacing was weird every episode, the cut seems off, there are dialogues that never used only scenes and mute.
I still like the overall story, coming of age, bestfriends, love that started as friends. But it feels unfinished, it feels raw, it really needs more episodes to flush out better storytelling. I would've like to see Yu Qiao and Ye Yun to have something, I would've like to see Qiao Xi mother to come and fix there relationship, I would've like to see the year when Yin Tao comeback to China.

Now with the positive, I really love Zhao Jin Mai acting here, it is her best even surpasses her acting in Amidst a Snowstorm of love. ZLH did a phenomenal acting too even with his character not being the best. They're chemistry when both in the screen really blends well. Now with their friend group, I really like it even when they don't get a lot of screen time. Ye Yun and Yu Qiao sacrifices are cruel to not end up together in the end but it was well written and really shine their friendship to Yin Tao.

Overall, its still a great watch. Just don't get high hopes, watch it for the acting more or less.

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Come on, it could’ve been way better than this!

Disclaimer: This review is based solely on the aired version of the drama—no behind-the-scenes tea included.

After weeks of following this show... it’s finally over. And if you ask me whether I’d recommend it to others—my honest answer is: yes... but also, not really. Because this drama? It had so much potential—but also made some frustrating choices that held it back.

Let’s start with the good stuff:
The premise? Solid. Friends to lovers? Childhood friends? Total comfort food for the soul. It had all the ingredients to be a warm, relatable, slice-of-life drama with depth. Heck, it could’ve even become a quiet exploration of mental health... if it had been handled better.

But here's the thing: what kept this drama afloat wasn’t the script, wasn’t the direction, wasn’t even the editing (we’ll get there in a second). It was the cast. Every single actor—yes, even the child actors—gave it their all and practically carried this drama on their backs.

Because the script? Felt choppy. Scenes jumped around. Focus was inconsistent. And at some point, I genuinely wondered if the producers themselves were confused about how to build the Qushan gang’s dynamics.

The friendship within the Qushan gang lacked emotional glue. Their bond didn’t feel lived-in. It felt… rotational. Like, okay—who’s gonna check in on Ying Tao this episode?

Early on, she was glued to Yu Qiao. Every. Single. Episode. The amount of screen time they took up together could’ve easily been used to deepen other plots. Then, mid-season, bam! suddenly Fang Yuan becomes her emotional anchor. He’s calling her, updating her, checking in like it’s his full-time job. Meanwhile, Dushang? Still missing in action.

And don’t get me started on Dushang’s storyline. They hinted at domestic violence in his family early on. It was serious. But fast forward, and suddenly his dad just shows up like nothing ever happened? Zero closure. Zero emotional follow-up. Just swept under the rug.

Then—plot twist—right near the end, Dushang finally gets more scenes... and becomes Ying Tao’s main contact out of nowhere. After being sidelined for the entire show, he’s suddenly relevant? It felt like a punchline.

The biggest tragedy? These characters had so much potential. The actors were more than capable. But the direction failed them. Their interactions didn’t flow naturally, and so much of the emotional weight felt unearned.

Now, let’s talk about the one thing that made me stay:
Ying Tao and Qiao Xi’s chemistry.
Thank god for them.

Despite limited scenes together and barely-there exposition, the emotional connection between them still hit. Zhao Jinmai and Zhang Linghe deserve serious credit. They fought for that chemistry, and it showed.

Jinmai brought every emotion to life—grief, frustration, hope, love—all so authentically. And Linghe? He portrayed Qiao Xi’s silent battles and quiet despair with heartbreaking nuance, even when the script gave him so little.

And honestly? Qiao Xi’s character could’ve been legendary with better writing. He’s the perfect embodiment of a kid growing up with an empty love tank. His parents were present physically, but never emotionally. The emotional neglect? Gut-wrenching. So when someone like Ying Tao loves him fully—without condition—it scares him. He runs. Because love feels foreign. Like danger.

That’s the core of his character. And it works. It’s raw, it’s real, and it speaks to so many people.

Meanwhile, Ying Tao grew up surrounded by love. Her emotional cup is full—and that’s why she has the capacity to love others deeply. The contrast between the two? Brilliant. And it makes you root for them so hard.

One of the most important truths this drama quietly delivers is:
Not every parent deserves the title of ‘parent.’
Qiao Xi’s parents? Prime example of that.

And I loved that in the end, his mom didn’t magically change or chase him down. She stayed the same. No guilt, no awareness. Just the same self-centered, emotionally unavailable woman who thinks the world revolves around her. People like that? Their ears are decorative. Period. 😂

You can shower them with kindness and understanding—but it’ll never be enough. Because they don’t see you. And honestly? The healthiest thing to do is to leave. Before they break you more than they already have.

Now. We need to talk about the elephant in the room:
THE EDITING.

It was… chaotic. Especially in the early episodes. Transitions were jarring. Scenes ended abruptly. Filters changed without warning. Like—remember the Hong Kong scenes? Suddenly the whole vibe turned cinematic, like we were watching a completely different show. The first and last episodes felt like they came from different universes. Not sure if the editor just leveled up halfway through… or if it was just pure inconsistency.

So yeah. This drama wasn’t perfect. Far from it.

But do I regret watching it? Not at all. The story had charm. The characters were endearing. And thank goodness the leads weren’t another comic artist or programmer (I am SO over those tropes, lmao). The roles felt fresh, the conflicts were compelling, and the ending? Surprisingly satisfying.

So yeah. A bumpy ride—but not a wasted one.

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