Our Generation

The Chinese drama "Our Generation," also known as "Our Generation," is a hit that has generated considerable discussion among drama fans. Released in 2025 and starring Zhao Jin Mai and Zhang Ling He, the series is an adaptation of the web novel "Ying Tao Hu Po" (Cherry Amber) and is available on platforms such as Youku, Viki, and soon on Netflix.

Plot and Main Themes

The drama follows the story of Lin Qi Le, a vibrant young woman who grew up in a small town surrounded by love and joy, and Jiang Qiao Xi, a genius with a troubled and traumatic family life. The plot unfolds over the years, showing the characters' maturation and the challenges of their relationship.

The central themes of the series are:

Maturity: The plot depicts the protagonists' journey from youth to adulthood, addressing choices, mistakes, and personal growth.

Youth and Dreams: The series explores the aspirations and challenges typical of this stage of life, such as career choices, first loves, and the search for a place in the world.

Trauma and Mental Health: Jiang Qiao Xi's story is a crucial point, addressing how childhood trauma affects adulthood and the protagonist's role in "saving" him.

Emotional Dependence: One of the most debated points is Lin Qi Le's emotional dependence, which she sacrifices her own life to help her beloved, sparking discussions about what constitutes a healthy relationship.

Family Relationships: The drama contrasts the families of the two protagonists, showing the difference between the unconditional support of Lin Qi Le's parents and the pressure and abuse suffered by Jiang Qiao Xi.

Strengths and Weaknesses (Review)

The drama is praised for its emotional depth and the compelling performances of Zhao Jin Mai and Zhang Ling He. Many fans are moved by the protagonists' love story and the happy ending. The couple's chemistry is one of the biggest highlights, and the series is seen as a beautiful story of overcoming obstacles and dedication.

However, the drama has also been the target of criticism:

Slow Pace: Some viewers found the development of the romance too drawn-out, especially the part where the protagonist "chases" her beloved for years.

Emotional Dependence: The theme of Lin Qi Le's addiction is considered problematic by some, who question her decision to sacrifice her own life for love.

Low Screen Time for Supporting Characters: The friendship between the characters is a positive point, but many felt the friends' stories lacked greater depth.

Overall, Our Generation is a drama that divides opinions, but its emotional impact is undeniable. If you enjoy dramas with coming-of-age stories, overcoming trauma, and intense romance, it's worth giving it a try. The series is perfect for those who enjoy a deep plot and easily engage with the characters' journeys.

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Love begets Love

This series made me understand the fact that a person needs to be loved to know how to love others.

Yingtao grew up in a very loving family and knew how to show JQX the love he needed endlessly whereas JQX who was sidelined to the memories of his dead brother and was not loved for who he is by his parents didn't know how to love himself and he extended this same mindset to Yingtao and his other friends believing that people can only ever love the exceptional version of himself.

I really got to see how much the environment a child grows in gets to affect their general outlook on life and their belief systems.
Honestly this series was real.... it wasn't the usual rosy love stories we get to see all the time. This actually portrayed the struggles and commitments that come with loving someone.

I love the way ZLH portrayed JQX's struggle in accepting his true self and coming to love himself and let Yingtao love him without any achievements. Because it is really hard for someone who had to achieve great feats academically or live in a certain way to earn his mother's attention and love to change. Dude literally had to let go of opportunities not necessarily because he didn't want them but because he wanted people to see him beyond his achievements and rather for who he truly was.

I felt so heartbroken for JQX. I cant count the number of times i felt choked seeing a teenager think about matters that were beyond his age. I was near tears hearing the words he said to his mom at the scene she was in the hospital cuz it only takes a matured mind to say such words. He wasnt allowed tk be a child and he became matured even at the age of nine.
I really can't thank Yingtao enough for loving JQX enough to bring him to love himself. She also taught him how to love her right. Like in the scene in HongKong on the night they made up where she told him that he ought to hug her and she'll hit him.... that scene was beautiful.

Also, kudos to Qin Ye Yun and Yu Qiao for literally being the best friends Yingtao needed. I really can't heart them less. Their friendship reminded me of why i akways love the friends group trope.
In all, I don't even think I can be able to sum all that this series has made me feel. It really is a masterpiece. I might have to write another review

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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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adorable second chance romance with a girlboss FL and princess ML

truth to be told i went in expecting pure fluff and nothing else, i was surprised with the angst but i still ate it up tbh
this drama is so much more than a romance and i loved it

what i liked:
-the fl is easily one of the best written ever. My girls is smart, courageous, strong willed and knows what she wants. I know some may view her as obsessive or weird which is crazy to me bcz all i see is a girl who has a heart of gold and a lot of love to share. Her love for qiaoxi is one of the purest ever, we got girl competing with sang yan (TFF) in the yearning game.
truth is, although the way she cares for qiaoxi is very special obviously, we see she is like that to everyone she loves, for example when we see her with yeyun, the way she does everything in her zpower to win her friend back over, its beautiful, we really see her values there.
i believe there is nothing embarrassing over fighting for someone you truly love.

-the ml is really one of the good-er complex male leads. zlh is a great actor so he really brought him to life, it is to be understood that bro has been through serious trauma, imagine growing up in the shadow of someone who died.
his indecisiveness, cold frontier, all made sense.
His actions and feelings were valid, and his genuine effort to make up for them was nice.

-i liked that this drama wasn't ONLY a romance, in the start they focused on her friend group and the other members in the Qunshan squad, i found that adorable. in particular yeyun's character, her relationship with her dad was heartwarming and it made me cry.

-the cinematography was beautiful, really made every shot feel alive.

-another thing that i loved, yingtao's ''behavior'' wasn't glossed over in the drama,
everyone around showed concern over her with the qioaxi thing, some warned her, other discouraged her, almost the same as the negative reviews here, despite that her actions were true to the character that she is
the letters, the pining during the school years, it wasn't cringe at all imo. That was typical teenage girl behavior, the random bickering and helping her friend, thats what teenage girls are like and they portrayed that in yingtao perfectly.
If she wasn't the way she was, qiaoxi would've never gathered the strength to break free of his mothers hold, she really is his hero.

what i didnt like:
-the pacing was a little off at times,
a lot of things did not make sense to me and at the end i felt there were somethings missing. The main leads got good closure BUT the side characters that were significant to the plot at the start kinda jst disappeared at the end.
the pacing was either too slow or too fast at times, when it was too slow i got bored during the middle, and when it was too fast i felt nothing was being explained in the way that i hoped.
we didnt get to see more into the other squad members life/professions when at the start it felt like they would.

overall:
its a great nonetheless,
watch if you're in the mood for a angst second chance romance where the fl chases the ml.
if u can ignore the choppy pacing and enjoy the drama for what it is, it's for you.
8.5/10
would recommend

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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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Glad I completed it

Honestly I was thinking of dropping it at one point cause it felt annoying watching the FL keep chasing after him but I'm glad I saw it through cause u know what i like the idea of the girl not giving up on the guy even when everyone is telling her to. Cause at first i found the ML frustrating for not communicating better but then i thought things from his pov and its understandable why he doesn't want Yintao to see him at his lowest cause he has grown up with his mothers conditional love that depends on his academic achievement so to see Yintao love him for just being himself might be hard to grasp for him.
PS. i wish they showed more of the ML's pov of falling for FL cause it felt a bit one sided without enough of his scenes.

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Its a very cute youth drama...

I do my reviews on just my opinion you don't have to agree.

First I am going to mention the kids that played all the main actors as children I found them so adorable and they did so well at portraying their characters. I think they deserve to be mentioned though I understand some may not agree.

Jiang Qiao Xi
I am a Zhang Ling He fan and again I don't think he disappoints in this drama. Some of his facial expressions especially the one where he looks at Cherry in the gym I found just so cute. I love watching him no matter what he does. I do think that they could of showed more of him. I was a little disappointed there and that they should of went more in depth of his character. It just left a lot of people thinking he was the bad guy and he wasn't. He had just been through a lot since he was a kid and was struggling on figuring himself out. It was obvious how much he loved Cherry which is why he didn't want to bring her down with him. I also love the chemistry between Zhang Ling He and Zhao Jin Mai, and they could of done more with it but this is a youth drama and you just kind of expect that. Still all that being said still loved Zhang Ling He in this so much.

Lin Ying Tao (Cherry)
I loved her character just everything about her. This girl proved to be so strong even in the worst moments for her even when she was a child. She remains true to her bond and feelings for Jiang Qiao Xi and she never wavers even when friends tell her to move on. She really was his little hero and it was so cute. Zhao Jin Mai I am becoming a fan of hers with the more dramas I watch of hers (two of them being with Zhang Ling He). This drama also mainly just focuses on her so I am glad I like her acting. I even really loved the little girl who played her, but if you like her or Zhang Ling He it really gets you through this drama. I just wanted to see more of their interactions.

The Story
I will say the story as a whole does leave something lacking. Which is why I didn't rate this higher. They really could of done more with Jiang Qiao Xi so you could understand him more but they didn't. It also felt like they focused on things that really were not important to the story of Cherry and Jiang Qiao Xi. I also don't understand the hate for Yu Qiao. I really liked the actor who played him and thought he was such a good friend for Cherry to have. Even though he had feelings for Cherry he understood where she stood with her feelings for Jiang Qiao Xi and he wasn't selfish. So I also didn't mind that they did focus a lot on him. I just feel like they could of done more with it. There was just something really missing when I got to the end of it. I just really wanted something more, but for Zhang Ling He and Zhao Jin Mai I think it is worth the watch I don't think they disappoint at all.

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Too much skipped

Just binge watch this drama from eps 9 after dropped it till this drama finished airing. Try to keep positive about the drama. But no, I am walnutz. Can't denied watch this drama mostly because feel intrigued about Jiang Qiaoxi cause the synopsys looks so interesting. Also cause I want to see Peirong couple in modern set for once. But no, I am agree with mostly reviews about bad written especially how they poorly written about Qiaoxi character. For FL sometimes i feel she is also too childish. But much better than ML. I am more understand her well than ML. That's the big disappointment I feel about this drama.

The drama started off so good at the first, I feel nostalgic when seeing their childhood moment till they reached Senior High School. But after that the story got dragged, Can't bring my self to didn't skip most of the scene. Especially in eps 15 till 24. Even with Hongkong arc didn't help. I am still skipped most of the scene.

They really did dirty work by didn't delivered ML character well. If you said, it's because Linghe is second billing so it's make sense he got less screentime, but that's not the case. It just because bad written, they didn't care how his character developed. Many people asking his character and didn't understand him well. Some labelled him as red flag, toxic ML. Coward. I am agree with most of it. Even though I understand why he act like that. And the end, the ending feels rushed and unreal.

Feel disappointed as I've been waiting for this drama since the filming last year

The only thing I love is the acting. Both of Linghe and Maimai did good job on delivered their emotion. So good, also the Qin Yue Yun. Best BESTIE for mee
And the cinematography also looks so good and aesthetic. The music also wonderful, but sometimes I feel they used too much song till I feel they abused it

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Understanding is the Key!

Loved this drama!

SPOILERS BELOW…


Ying Tao gave it all! She knew that this new friend was lonely, unloved and scared. She saw what nobody else saw. She made a connection and gave that boy what nobody else gave him, trust, friendship and love. Because of her he opened a little more and saw the true value of friendship and love. As an adult, he felt as a failure! He thought he didn’t have nothing to offer since his parents only ask for studying and being number one. He was always compared to his dead brother. He didn’t received any love and he refuge in his studies. Only when Yingtao came up did he feel some hope.

I can understand many who say he abandoned Yingtao for so long but I also understood him. This was his way of coping with his life. He understood that maintaining Yingtao far from what he was dealing was the best way to not hurt her. He always thought that studying and becoming a professional was the key to have a successful life. QiaoXi didn’t have much as a normal, loving parents as Yingtao had, so he had to learn the most difficult way. He didn’t have no guidance, only be number one.

Looking at his past and seeing how lonely and unloved he was I can understand why he did what he did. That Yingtao probably should had moved on, I can relate and say she should have, but she had that pure, innocent love for QiaoXi that only he could have. He was her all and she was his all, they both knew it.

A special bond that couldn’t be broken even after all those years!

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Lin yingtaos journey of love friendship family first love and more....

The series centers around the effervescent Cherry (Lin yingtao), a beacon of positivity who brightens the lives of those around her. Her path intertwines with Jiang Xiaoqi, a young man navigating a complex family situation, and their connection adds a vibrant layer to his world.

"While perhaps not reinventing the wheel, this coming-of-age drama, centered on Ling Yitao's journey from youth to adulthood, still manages to feel refreshing.

Zhao Jinmai shines as Cherry, perfectly embodying her character's spirit, while Zhang Linghe delivers a compelling performance, especially through his expressive acting.

The series explores her relationships ( Family friendships and more ) particularly with Jiang Xiaoqi, whose limited screen time may frustrate some. However, his appearances are impactful, and the storytelling ultimately benefits.

The slow-burn romance between the leads, though facing setbacks, allows for genuine character development. Their eventual connection, after both characters address personal struggles, feels earned, even if somewhat idealistic. Ling Yitao's unwavering loyalty and capacity for love, shaped by her upbringing, are central to the narrative.

Ultimately, the show's strength lies in its characters and the undeniable chemistry between the leads. I highly recommend giving it a watch to experience it for yourself.

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