Our Generation

Frustrating, but an okay drama.

Spoilers ahead!


Okay, this drama was interesting to say the least. It had great potential in the beginning until they graduated high school. After that the writers messed everything up. At first the FL is very head strong, the leader of their little pack, and over all a strong character who doesn’t take no for an answer. Towards the middle and end of the drama the writers completely switched her character into a weak, man pleasing, idiot, who would do anything for a man that ghosted her for years on more than one occasion (granted the first time wasn’t the ML’s fault).

The ML Qiao Xi… lord there’s a lot to say about him. First off both his acting and Cherry’s acting is PHENOMENAL! Don’t get that twisted. But lord have mercy it’s so frustrating how spineless that man is! Communication is key to ALL relationships and if there was ANY communication in this drama then this show would have had a higher score all in itself! He’s so so so sooooo cute, but damn. It comes to a point where two people are just having to fight so hard that it’s not even worth the stress and emotional damage for the relationship anymore. Also Qiao Xi is mentally not okay and I hate he never got the professional help he truly needed.

Now the main leads romance is very sweet when it does start, but it’s not enough to make you forget everything that happened along the way, do with that what you will, but I’d be mentally prepared to be upset, frustrated, and confused before watching this drama. Also it drags a LOT!

I don’t regret watching this at all, and I don’t think people should be rating this drama anything lower than a 5, but it could have been done sooo much better. The writers fumbled hard! Especially with how good the actors genuinely are!!!

I suggest everyone watch it at least once.

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toxic man/ obsessed woman

so to start, I love these types of dramas. I have watched all from go ahead to exclusive fairytale to love in a galaxy!

The story started of strong , I loved the build up 🆙 of the friendships each special in their own right. The overarching family issues and how they impacted those relationships. These stories were well developed and served to move the story along as well give character development. The actors played their roles really well and gave depth and dimension to the characters.

The issue for me was- I did not understand the ML’s struggle or thought process I would say from when he decided to quit math! I was further confused by the FL who seemed to have unwavering loyalty and love for a ML who does not seem to care about her. All the decisions he made were not thought out, did not consider the FL feelings and always were selfish! This is not to diminish his experience of abuse., because i can see how parenting played a significant role-

FL in many ways since childhood was able to show love to the ML and also to her friends. At no point in the drama was I convinced that the ML loved her too! I haven’t read the book and understand that the ML experiences are more fleshed out but I can only judge from what I see. She could have loved him as friend, because explain to me how one can just leave after a declaration that of love and a first kiss! No communication for two years. The dumped FL then spends years talking to herself justifying her obsession instead of pursuing healthy reciprocal relationships. All the while hurting her friends along the way.

In all honesty this was an enjoyable drama but I hated the fact that I found myself rooting for the SML/mr pilot and couldn’t understand why he didn’t get the girl. The drama gave me no redemption/healing journey for the ML as to why he deserved a happy ending.

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Hide & Seek

So what's so great about ml that the fl like?

What did he do for fl to be this head over heels?
Boy leaves her town when she was a kid and she doesn't see him again, but he promises to come back.
He doesn't. She writes to him, no responds for years.

She goes to see what's up with him at his new town, but he acts like he doesn't know her?

Ok now Cherry got the most loving parents. Right? Yes. You would think this girl would know how to pick a guy who treats her special right? No. She's super crazy for the guy who doesn't really stand up for himself and her.
Not the type of guy to pick, but sadly she's crazy about him.

Yes, I know ml got family issues, still he should stop giving fl false hope.

The side characters can be annoying, but the advice they kept giving fl was great.

Too bad she didn't take it.

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This drama really disappointed me.

It started off strong, a classic childhood friends to lovers, and then when they meet up again, he acts like he doesn't know her, and therefore Lin Yingtao chooses to ignore him, but when he reveals why he acted the way he did, and they make up, suddenly they're in love? They haven't seen each other for 8 years, and when they get over the hardships, they're in love? We didn't get to see actual scenes of them spending time together and falling in love. Jiang Qiaoxi, the main character, has had as much screentime as the side ones. And now he's off to Hong Kong, ignoring Lin Yingtao ''because he doesn't want to hurt her''. Boy you're hurting her more by doing this. Just communicate with her, and you can resolve it together. It's such a shame that this elite cast is wasted on a poor storyline, especially after The Princess Royal, which set high standards.

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Had promise and lost step

First I must comment the soundtrack for OG is better than the series. The songs are catchy and the main two are played many times thus they stick in your head.

This series started with good intentions and then fizzled and then picked back up. It spend way too much time on the ML going 'missing' that I don't know why the FL bothered. Everyone has challeneges in life and the ML seemed to feel he had to suffer on his own to 'protect' those he loved yet wound up hurting them more. I think of all the WASTED years that went by where a simple, 'Hope you are well, thinking about you' would have went a long way.

The start of the series the parents were shown having key roles in their childrens lives and then at High School and beyond faded to the background, which I guess is how life goes. I wish the ML found closure with the parents who are gone in the second half of the series.

This series also wasted the friends relationships and played minor roles. the FL best friends (girl) and (boy) clearly have for each other and never took the step to at least tell each other. Again wasted years loving someone. Maybe they decide to just stay platonic. The other cirlce of friends are never explored other than cameos at times.

Overall it is worth a watch, just know the middle episodes are frustrating as it doesn't connect to the start and the (happy) ending episodes, the wrap up seemed rushed considering the time spent on the 'apart' portions.

I guess the series does show the years of growth as you enter adulthood and have real ife to deal with. ML took responsibility for his family and put his own happiness (and education) on hold. Many people deal with similar situations.

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This Could’ve Been the Next Go Ahead… If Only They Didn’t Cut It

I wish they didn’t have to cut so many scenes. After episode 17, the editing got really choppy and so many important moments were just gone. I’m glad that unlike the novel, all the friends actually stayed in touch here, but yeah… a lot of loopholes popped up because they had to shrink it from 44 episodes to 24. Honestly, it had the potential to be the best slice-of-life drama after Go Ahead, but all that cutting made the ML’s impact way less than it should’ve been.

When I was watching the show, I honestly did not like the ML at all. But after reading the novel and finally understanding where he was coming from… I ended up loving both him and the FL, and seeing how they were meant for each other. Both actors killed it – loved them. The rest of the cast was great too. The songs? So good. Cinematography? Gorgeous. I just wish the editing hadn’t been so rushed, because then we wouldn’t have had random fillers instead of those important, heart-hitting scenes.

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our generation

i loved the princess royal. still my fav drama to this day. sooo excited to watch this pair again when i found out that they had a new drama. i can sum this up with one word: disappointing.

at first, i was so shocked with the child actors. never seen so many good ones in one screen. so much emotion that really showed, and they didn’t look like they were lip-syncing like other ones in other dramas. i was so impressed until around the middle bit. the storyline was so bad— like why did he give up his math skills for her, but then abandon her again? they could’ve changed to it abandoning her once in qunshan because of his mother’s threats, but ghosting her after graduating high school was entirely his choice. i get it that it would’ve been boring without a twist, but that twist ruined the entire thing.

i am on the last 2-3 episodes, and its getting so boring, im writing this review while watching it. just that one choice in the drama ruined the entire thing.

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Huge colossal disappointment - When show don't tell becomes tell don't show for the ML

Before the review I would like to say - I love Youth Dramas. The whole journey from school to their adulthood of the characters is nice to watch. This Genre need not have twists and turns. Little things even simple interactions between characters matters. Here characters take the centre stage.

Now coming to this drama, I went with so much of expectation. I have heard a lot of this PH house. On top of that good actors in the genre I loved. But...
First few episodes they build the equation pretty well. I loved the kids. You know from the beginning that FL is the big rock of the group who easily gets attached to the people. It is also shown how her relationship with ML develops. So far so good although there is still choppy editing with no organic flow it is still interesting.
Problem starts right there but we don't notice. First problem is we do not know the timeline. We never get the idea of how long ML was in Qun Shan with her. They just mentioned he will leave next winter. We do not know how long he has been there in the first place. Only from novel readers we know they were together for two years. Timeline is never really shown clearly.
Slowly the loop starts. ML is missing more and more. All we get is characters discussing about ML. We do not know what happened with him. Here and there we do get glimpses. It is really glimpses. Be it his mother tearing up his letters or their family fights. We get more of side characters reaction than the ML's reaction. Even ML's father gets a good 1 minute scene of aftermath of their fight but not ML. Every episode the FL's friends discuss about ML but ML is not in the picture. Side characters get their perspective, their life story in full glory but not ML. We do not know how his life was, how he coped with toxic mother, what his cousin's role was in his life etc etc.. He pops in to give some romantic cheesy dialogue and then disappears.
Every episode there is a new character revolving around FL but ML who is supposed to be one true love of her life is still MIA.
May be this is the story of FL , her growth etc..But we hardly get to know about the most important person in her life who she is holding on to for so many years. Even side characters get more time than the so called ML that is the problem.
Even for a moment if we forget that ML exists and try to enjoy her journey that too is not fully carved out well. The friendship between the gang too is there but not there. Most of her friend group sort of disappear and reappear once in a while. Editing is so choppy. Random scenes appear disappear and sometimes it feels out of order. And the school gossipping and characters are so out of touch. There are scenes far and wide between which are good. But they are all in isolation.

All this leads to discourse about whether FL is obsessed. If they had shown the life of ML and good bonding of FL with ML in the school (not just romantic dialogues with FL blushing all the time whatever few scenes they did have in the school) they would not question the love. FL has more bonding with her friend YQ than with ML JQX...
Basic rule of visual story telling is "show don't tell" but it was all "tell don't show" for ML.
After episode 18, I finally lost all hope of holding on to this drama. It was a mess that cannot be salvaged.
Sighhhhhh

PS: I am not a "fan" of ZLH. His only other show I watched is Flourish in Time which I liked. So it is not about the actor not getting screen time. It is about the character and the flow of the story lacking depth and visibility.

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Good but could've been better

I'm not new to watching coming-of-age/romance dramas like this. The first 10 episodes up to the last bit of the high school arc, were pretty solid, good, and are rather enjoyable. I loved the dynamic of the Qunshan squad. I also liked how they got to highlight the struggles of each character (maybe not too much on Cai Fangyuan's though). I really thought it deserved a higher rating than what it currently has.

HOWEVER, the romance in this drama fell flat. First off, I understand the review of most people here regarding the FL being the constant "chaser". I honestly didn't mind it at first. Considering that I also watched The First Frost, I just thought that a reversed role of the girl being the chaser shouldn't be that bad as long as it's portrayed well. But I think one of the main points why TFF was such a hit is that it isn't common in real life to have somebody like Sangyan -- e.g. a guy who's willing to go through all hell for a girl regardless of how long it may be. People put Sangyan's character on a pedestal because of this. In reality, it's always women who chase after problematic and emotionally unavailable men because of our so-called "maternal instinct". I get Qiaoxi's struggles and I believe nobody should struggle the same way as he did, but our homegirl didn't look like she has any self-respect and really acted like a martyr all the way til the end. Perhaps the most self-respect she showed to herself was during her first reunion with QX when she initially tried pushing him away.

In relation to that, Yingtao's character lacks depth. The show made it look like she only lives and breathes for Qiaoxi (which I believe she mentioned in one scene). They didn't even highlight her dreams, her aspirations, and her inner struggles. It's hard to connect with her on an emotional level because all she really utters is "Qiaoxi Qiaoxi Qiaoxi". Heck there wasn't even a scene where she finally realizes that her feelings for QX are more than just caring for a friend. No scene for self-reflection at all.

Ok, now to Qiaoxi. The guy didn't even have a redemption arc! That time skip left out a lot of loose ends. How did he do during college? How did he get that finance job in the first place? How did he and Yingtao ended up living under the same roof? Did he ever make it up to Yingtao? And on top of that, the show ended with him...JOBLESS! And, when did he even realize he's developed a romantic feeling for Yingtao? Was he just going with the surge of emotions? He was in a very unstable emotional state so how was he so sure that he actually loves Yingtao? Coz she was the one who's always there for her and that nobody else could probably tolerate him the way Yingtao does? They may have shown that he feels bad for ghosting YT but his remorse didn't leave a huge impact to the viewers.

Overall, ZJM and ZLH did so well with their roles. It's just that the plot could've been better. I've read that the novel was so much better in so many ways so it's such a shame to see the drama being portrayed like this. I honestly thought the elementary/high school arc and the college/adult arc were written by different writers because there's so much disconnect with the feels. Not to mention the unnecessary fillers that could've been used to establish the characters' story well.

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OUR GENERATION: A JOURNEY OF FRIENDSHIP, LOVE, GROWTH, AND RESILIENCE

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ Our Generation, also known as Cherry Amber (樱桃琥珀), is a youth slice-of-life drama that explores themes of friendship, family conflict, romance, and enduring love. While it features familiar tropes seen in other youth dramas, Our Generation stands out by taking a different path set in the 90s, it highlights the influence of the Qunshan community on six childhood friends. Each of them grew up with different personalities that initially remained the same, forming the foundation of their strong bond. But as they matured and entered adulthood, their experiences began to shape them in new ways, showing how growth and change can influence their lives °❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

STORYLINE 𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧

The story begins with Yingtao’s childhood as leader of the “Qunshan Squad,” introducing the close-knit group and their personalities. Qunshan is a small community where neighbors care for each other. Yingtao’s life changes when Jiang Qiaoxi joins the group after warming up to her. Despite their different personalities, they bond over shared interests like Yingtao’s special rabbit, Chunlu. Our Generation has well-written characters: Yingtao is kind and lively, supported by loving parents; Jiang Qiaoxi is quiet, smart, and gifted but controlled in childhood; Qin Yeyun is hardworking, caring for her injured father; Yu Qiao is athletic and protective; Cai Fangyuan is the funny helper, like Du Shang. Though different, they all get along well.

The first half follows them growing into high school seniors. After Jiang Qiaoxi moves to the city, he cuts contact with Yingtao, who misses him and her friends deeply. Learning something is wrong with her letters, Yingtao visits the city and finds him, but their reunion ends with misunderstanding. Her parents then decide to move to the city, marking a new chapter for Yingtao, Jiang Qiaoxi, and the squad.

Before the second half, Yingtao reunites warmly with her friends and clears the misunderstanding with Jiang Qiaoxi. She faces struggles keeping up with expectations, while Jiang Qiaoxi competes and balances school absences but still meets his friends. Yeyun cares for her sick father, highlighting the drama’s theme of friendship and support. Jiang Qiaoxi works hard but faces pressure from his demanding mother, which deeply saddens the group. Though misunderstood at times, his friends begin to truly understand his struggles. Before the second half of the story, Yingtao reunited warmly with her friends. Jiang Qiaoxi explained the misunderstandings between them, allowing their friendships to restart. Yingtao struggled to keep up with high school and expectations from friends and teachers. Jiang Qiaoxi was often absent due to competitions but always found time for Yingtao and their friends. Yeyun cared for her seriously ill father, showing how much Our Generation talks about good friends and supportive family. Jiang Qiaoxi worked hard, smart, quiet, and humble but his mother’s constant demands made him feel like he wasn’t enough. Though the Qunshan group sometimes misunderstood him, they grew to truly understand his struggles.

Yu Qiao focused on sports but always made time for friends, while Du Shang and Cai Fangyuan built a website and helped out. High school was full of adventures and heartbreaks, especially for Jiang Qiaoxi. After winning an Olympiad, he decided to stop living in his family’s shadow and to be seen as his true self. The second half starts after Jiang Qiaoxi and Yingtao share their first kiss and confession, right after her exams as she prepares for university. It was emotional because Yingtao believed they’d attend the same university. This marked their last meeting, with many blaming Jiang Qiaoxi for leaving, but this time his decision came from deep depression Yingtao didn’t know about.

When Jiang Qiaoxi left without saying goodbye, Yingtao was heartbroken, and the whole Qunshan Squad felt it too. They focused on school, hoping he’d come back. The story then shifts to Yingtao’s university life, where she meets new friends and seniors who support her through tough times. She sees one senior’s painful breakup, making her think about Jiang Qiaoxi and relationships. Meanwhile, the rest of the squad follow their paths: Yu Qiao trains to be a pilot, Du Shang becomes a doctor, Cai Fangyuan studies literature, and Yeyun cares for her dad. They eventually find out where Jiang Qiaoxi is but keep it from Yingtao until Yu Qiao visits him and decides it’s time to tell her.

The final arc is emotional Jiang Qiaoxi’s flawed choice and Yingtao’s brave decision to find him and reunite. Before officially dating and focusing on their future, everyone found success: Yu Qiao became a pilot, Yeyun got a car and grew happier, Du Shang became a doctor, and Cai Fangyuan pursued writing. Yingtao also learns the full story about Jiang Qiaoxi and his cousin and encourages everyone to stay strong.
When they all reunite, they reflect on how fast time passed and how much has changed. They finally set off fireworks they missed in high school. Though their paths changed, life brought them back together. Despite fights and disagreements, Yingtao married Jiang Qiaoxi. They knew the future would have challenges, but as long as they were together, they were ready to face it and stay side by side.

────୨ৎ────CHARACTERS ────୨ৎ────

Zhao Jinmai as Lin Yingtao / Lin Qile ִֶָ𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ🐇་༘࿐
Zhao Jinmai portrayed Lin Yingtao in a very natural and convincing way. Yingtao’s life was lively and full of joy because of her upbringing. She had loving parents who cared deeply for her and valued her happiness above all else. They never pressured her with unrealistic expectations whether it was for herself or for her relationship with Jiang Qiaoxi. Instead, they encouraged her to follow her own path. As the leader of the Qunshan group, Yingtao always cared for everyone around her. Even though she loved Jiang Qiaoxi, she still made time for her friends and her pets, something that also brought her closer to him. Yingtao is a well-written character who grew into a courageous, outgoing, and friendly young woman. She is the kind of friend who knows how to calm the storm. While she wasn’t the smartest student at first, her determination to stay alongside her friends pushed her to prove her teachers wrong, studying hard to achieve good grades.

Her character reminded me of Sang Yan from First Frost, but with the roles reversed both characters showed dedication to their partners long before officially dating, often through acts of service. Unfortunately, Yingtao was sometimes misinterpreted simply because she is female, and societal perceptions tend to judge women more harshly. However, if a partner understands the other person’s situation, it’s possible to work things out unless there’s no love in return. In Yingtao’s case, Jiang Qiaoxi did love her, but his circumstances and introverted personality made it harder for him to express himself, especially next to Yingtao’s more extroverted nature.

Zhao Jinmai captured every side of Yingtao perfectly from her happiness, to her sadness, to moments of joyful tears. She brought Yingtao to life, making her dedication to friendship resonate deeply. Her portrayal of Yingtao’s clumsiness and funny moments made it easy to see why the Qunshan Squad loved her so much. Yingtao has officially become one of my favourite modern female characters, because she made me cry and smile while showing how much she cared for and cherished her friends. She never stopped them from doing what they loved, even when it made her feel sad.

Zhang Linghe as Jiang Qiaoxi ⋆⭒˚.⋆🪐 ⋆⭒˚.⋆
Zhang Linghe portrayed Jiang Qiaoxi in a perfect and well-directed way. Jiang Qiaoxi is a quiet, smart, and deeply introverted character, someone I truly understood and felt pity for because of everything he went through. His childhood was shaped by a controlling mother who dictated what he liked, from his favourite food to his preferred colours. Because of this treatment, he became reserved and struggled to express himself. But meeting Yingtao and the rest of the Qunshan Squad changed him. For the first time, he began to hope to be seen, loved, and heard. Jiang Qiaoxi is often misunderstood because of his choices, but I found him realistic. His personality and upbringing made his struggles believable, and he needed a source of strength, a motivator which he found in Yingtao. Through her support, he learned to face life’s hardships and keep moving forward.

Jiang Qiaoxi reminded me of Wei Yifan, as both are flawed characters shaped by different traumas and imperfect decisions. Those experiences ultimately helped them grow into stronger people who learned to fight for themselves. One of my favourite things about Jiang Qiaoxi was how he remembered the little details about each member of the Qunshan group, never forgetting them. He would give them special gifts as a way of showing how much he valued their friendship.

Zhang Linghe’s performance was exceptional and flawless. I cried with his character, especially during his time in Hong Kong. He portrayed the shy yet mature high school student so well the intelligent one always willing to help. His emotional and happy scenes felt so natural, and there were so many moments where I just wanted to hug his character. Jiang Qiaoxi has become one of my favourite youth male characters to watch grow from high school to adulthood. He overcame his past traumas, worked hard, cherished his friendships, and remained determined. And through it all, he never forgot Yingtao, loving her until the day they reunited. In summary the other qunshan squad also had their very good characteristics I resonated with, all the supporting characters acting were good and not forced. I loved Yingtao's family and how they took care of Jiang qiaoxi.

Explaining the Hong Kong Arc and the Romance Story 🍒💌🤍
The Hong Kong arc in Our Generation reminds me of The First Frost. Both stories have flawed characters who distance themselves from the people they love. Jiang Qiaoxi suffered a lot during their two years apart he dropped out of school after his cousin’s injury, worked multiple jobs, and cared for his uncle. The writer made sure Yingtao’s words weren’t just about her but were meant to help Jiang see the bright side and hold on to those who cared, especially the Qunshan Squad. When she tried to leave Hong Kong, he realized he couldn’t lose her and ran after her taxi. By the end, they became a couple.

The romance arc for the main leads was written in a way that made sense to me, even though the script had flaws. We didn’t get to see many scenes of Jiang Qiaoxi thinking about Yingtao, but I still understood their relationship. It began when they met as children and never forgot each other despite years apart. When they reunited, their love story naturally continued in high school because they already knew each other well, and their personalities hadn’t changed. Yingtao never forced her feelings on Jiang Qiaox,she simply included him in the Qunshan Squad and cheered for him because of how smart and capable he was.
During their high school years, their crush grew as they cared deeply for each other, often sharing quiet, intense glances. Yet, they prioritized their studies and futures before anything else. If the drama had more episodes, it could have shown more of their adulthood era, since Our Generation is about much more than romance.

The Hong Kong arc itself had flaws, as some scenes weren’t shown in full at first. But I later understood the purpose it was meant to show Jiang Qiaoxi learning that life has ups and downs, no matter whether you’re successful or poor. You can lose anything, money, family, friends without warning. Yet, even with these challenges, there are better days ahead, and the sun will rise again. Yingtao wanted him to remember that, and to never forget that his name carries a good and hopeful meaning, not something bad.

FAV SCENES 🐰ྀི🌺❤️
Qunshan squad childhood scenes
Qunshan group reunion in high school
Ying tao and Jiang qiaoxi High school moments
Jiang qiaoxi cooking for ying tao
Yingtao and yeyun besties moments
The bunny and cat scenes
The representation of family and friendship importance
The use of good cinematography that shows when the leads are happy or sad.
The ending scene of "Our generation" it was a very good happy ending
Domestic yingtao and Jiang qiaoxi and so much more....

OSTS / CINEMATOGRAPHY ๋ ࣭ ⭑๋ ࣭ ⭑๋ ࣭ ⭑๋ ࣭ ⭑
The OST and cinematography in Our Generation were well done, with lyrics that perfectly matched the emotions of the scenes, especially the happy and emotional moments. The cinematography was bright and beautifully captured those special moments in an almost ethereal way which I liked.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨🍓୧⋆ ˚｡⋆
Our Generation was a good watch for me despite its writing flaws and short episodes, mainly because I wanted more for all the characters. It reminded me of my own childhood and friend groups. The drama was more than just a romance, it highlighted the growth from childhood through teenage years and into adulthood. It focused on the importance of friendship and trying to resolve issues with good closure rather than leaving things hanging. This drama made me cry many times with its inspiring and sad quotes. It really made me reflect on my friendships, both in real life and online. Our Generation reminded me that being an adult doesn’t mean we have everything figured out. There are times when we make mistakes, get misunderstood, or even get wrongly accused. I have made mistakes and been wrongly accused myself, but I always try to be forgiving and grow into a better person.

One thing I truly appreciated about Our Generation was its emphasis on studying. It shows how we can be smart but still lose everything due to life’s hardships. But when we hit rock bottom, we have to stay strong and hold onto hope for better days ahead because bad times can always turn into good. The drama’s ratings don’t do it justice, but it’s definitely one everyone should watch and judge for themselves. It’s not a show for everyone, but it deserves a chance. It feels like a slice of life with heartwarming characters. The family dynamics were another highlight for me. The drama shows how bad parenting can damage someone, but if we stand up for ourselves, life will improve. Maybe it takes years, but the light at the end of the tunnel is always better than the darkness in our hearts. Jiang Qiaoxi never fully reunited with his family, but he learned to let go of anger and focus on his present and future. The Qunshan Squad will always be dear to me. They made my summer youth drama worth the wait.

FAV QUOTES 🌟🜼💬
“If you keep locking yourself in the past, you will suffocate. People move on too. If you keep clinging to the past, to what’s already gone, you will feel stuck.” - Yingtao’s mum
“Childhood memories stick and never leave.” - Yingtao

“Let civility guide our words and deeds. Live with honor, learn with your heart.” - Jialin High School board quote

“I am done living like someone else’s shadow. I want to be known for who I am.” -Jiang Qiaoxi

“What really matters is knowing who you are and what you really like to do.” - Yingtao

“Youth is like a roll of toilet paper; it looks like a lot, but once you start using it, it runs out fast. So figure out how you want to waste it.” - Yeyun

❀ Thanks for reading, I really resonated with our generation, I understand it may not be for everyone, but to anyone reading this, I hope life gets better for you, and that the light shines upon us even in times of hardship ִֶָ𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ🐇་༘࿐

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Slow and repetitve

The drama started off at a slow pace, focusing on the characters' childhoods—which was sweet and nostalgic in its own way. Things picked up once the main leads reunited, but the storyline began to feel repetitive, especially with the male lead constantly disappearing without much explanation. His mother’s overbearing and controlling behavior also became quite frustrating to watch.

By the time I reached the final few episodes, the pacing dragged enough that I ended up fast-forwarding through much of it. Certain plotlines felt unresolved, particularly the relationship between Yu Qiao and Qin Ye Yun, as well as the main lead’s dynamic with his parents. A more thoughtful closure would’ve really helped those arcs feel more complete.

That said, I genuinely appreciated the portrayal of friendship throughout the series. It’s rare to see a group of childhood friends stay connected so deeply, even after years of no contact, reconnecting in high school, and managing to maintain that bond while pursuing their separate paths in university. That enduring connection was definitely one of the drama’s strongest points.

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