Both dramas are period slice-of-life stories set in self-contained industrial work-unit communities in China, a 1970s factory village and a 1990s oil field of multi-generational families. They share a nostalgic, coming-of-age genre, focusing on ordinary people navigating family ties and using education to escape their inherited social fates. Both have slow-burn relationships with Love Story in the 1970s specifically including a fake marriage trope. Bonus- Sun Qian is female main lead in both!
Terminally ill main leads who want to make the most of the time before they die “Mr. Plankton” the main lead goes on a literal and emotional journey, a road trip to find his roots and “Our Movie” there’s a personal or creative journey, main lead is making a movie, documenting memories, or living life to the fullest
