Precious

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ 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 ࣪˖ ִֶָ🐇་༘࿐