This review may contain spoilers
Beautiful story
I watched the last ten episodes of Our Generation in one go, starting Friday evening and finishing Saturday morning. That alone says a lot about how strongly the final stretch pulled me in.The pacing in the middle of the story felt slower, and at times it was harder to keep moving forward. But the beginning and especially the final ten episodes were wonderful.
I have read many comments criticizing both the female lead and the male lead: one for chasing too much, the other for running away too much. But as an “objective” viewer, I found that dynamic to carry one of the drama’s most powerful messages.
Throughout Qiaoxi’s life and self-discovery journey, Yingtao was deeply important to him. When things were difficult at home or with his cousin, she became a lifeline—his light at the end of the tunnel. Some viewers criticize her for continuing to pursue him, especially after he left her before the Hong Kong arc. But even as viewers, we could sense that something was wrong with him during their farewell scene. Yingtao explains this beautifully to Yejun during their conversation on the hotel roof: because of the way Qiaoxi spoke and how he seemed to feel that night, she knew she needed to find him.
That was beautiful to me.
Yingtao could be that resilient partly because of how she was raised. She had parents who loved and supported her unconditionally. She was not taught that her worth depended only on achievement. She had the freedom to fail, make mistakes, and find her own way because she always had a safety net in her parents.
Qiaoxi had the opposite experience. People also criticize him for not groveling enough at the end, but I do not understand why there always has to be a score to settle between two people who love each other. As viewers, we can see his struggles and understand the mindset behind his choices. Since childhood, he was expected to be perfect in order to deserve his parents’ love. He was not allowed to fail, and he lived as someone else’s replacement.
In Yingtao’s family, she was the center of her parents’ universe—the mighty “sun.” In Qiaoxi’s case, he was the backup project, the “moon” living under an eclipse, constantly overshadowed by his brother. He was not allowed to dream or make mistakes. During the Hong Kong arc, he had to give up his newly found dreams and freedom because there was no adult he could truly rely on. For once, he dared to dream and reclaim his own life, but life had other plans. For him, it became easier to bottle everything up and survive one day at a time.
I loved Zhang Linghe’s acting in this drama. He portrayed both the more immature Qiaoxi and the later, anguished version of him beautifully. I believed his misery and internal struggles. I felt his pain throughout the Hong Kong arc. His demeanor and facial expressions were superb.
I am happy I watched this drama because it portrays the imperfect lives of human beings while still giving hope that wounded souls can find healing and happiness. It left a deep impression on me.
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