This review may contain spoilers
this show is a heartfelt letter of family struggles
ONE OF THE BEST ROMANCE-YOUTH DRAMAS
This show is a tear-jerker, and I definitely know that by the end of the drama, I will cry in some parts. It showed not only one side of family struggles but also covered some of what it's like: we have a perfect family like Qi Le's whose parents have deep-rooted relationship with their daughter, a single father like Ye Yun's who still works despite his broken leg, an abusive partner like Du Shang's father, and a family with a broken bond like Qiao Xi. It covered not only one scenario of a family but also showed how different situation of parenting affects their child's growth, and I think that it's part of the reason why it's entitled 'Our generation.'
Starting as a child in the first episode, Qi Le grew up to be a very jolly girl, as having a parent who is always willing to support her gave her the comfort of connecting easily with others. On the other hand, Qiao Xi, having the opposite kind of family, forced him to be a quiet and timid child. As Qi Le shone her personality on him, it wasn't hard to develop some feelings towards her. And I think that this is a very natural feeling to have as a child, since having 'crushes' is something we can't avoid going through the teen phase, especially when you adore someone very much for a specific reason, like Qiao Xi's adoration for Qi Le's positive personality.
One thing that I love about this drama so far is how it shows not only the main character's family struggle but also the other supporting characters, like Du Shang and Ye Yun. Despite the drama only airing halfway, it already built up so many emotions towards the group, and how all of their relationship turned out to be like meeting again.
Our generation is definitely one of the best youth romance dramas out there, especially with the pacing of the story. It's so balanced and every episode was well crafted. I could barely see anything negative about it to point out. From family drama, to romance, and even the supporting characters are so good that they are not only existing there to shine the main characters, but they have their very own personalities.
CHARACTER ANALYSIS:
(will only mention the characters that impacted me most)
1. Lin Qi Le - a very positive character from the start until the updated episode. She is the type that I believe most people would like to have in life, as a friend or as a person. She's honestly one of the greenest flag female lead in dramas - always positive and never lost hope with Qiao Xi. When most of the female leads separate after their partner tell them something to lose hope, Yingtao is someone who would always find a reason not to let go, and that's part of the reason why I can't blame Qiao Xi for loving her so much. She's such a gem.
2. Qiao Xi - He is a very well-rounded character and has shown huge progress halfway through the show. Starting off as a very timid boy who is scared of going against his parents, he will become someone who can finally stand on his feet. He used Qi Le's positive attitude as a drive to change himself for the better. And I think that his growth is one of the beautiful things I have seen so far. He clearly wasn't happy with what he did, and giving up on something he is not happy to do, but was forced to take action, requires so much courage. It took him years to finally step out of the shadow and tell them how he actually felt during those times they forced an expectation on him that he didn't want to achieve. Honestly, during the separation arc, I felt so bad for him having to struggle so much - and I can't really blame him for losing confidence that he can't even stand to see Yingtao, but then I'm glad that Yingtao was able to guide him back home again.
3. Qin Ye Yun (Qi Le's female friend) - to be honest, I really thought that she hates Qi Le since the beginning, as Qi Le mentioned having to dislike her, but then at the end, it was them being closer than the others. Growing up, Ye Yun has been with her father, who takes care of her and vice versa. Among all of the characters, she is so far the most emotionally mature that I have seen, very emotionally mature compared to the others. She was able to keep her romantic feelings in check, not blaming others for having the center of attention instead of her, or for putting the responsibility on the guy he liked just because she developed a feeling. Another thing about Ye Yun was her love towards her father, that she is selfless enough to even consider stopping going to school just so she can help provide for her father, and I think that's rare to see someone who is selfless enough willing to risk their future just to provide. And I am not saying that everyone should be this kind of person, but for a daughter who has only been with her father all her life, it is a very tender feeling to know that your child loves you that much.
4. Hong Fei (Qiao Xi's mother) - she loves someone who isn't there anymore and left someone who was there all along. Every mother can definitely relate to the loss of a child they have given birth to, and erasing that memory is so hard to do that it always stays there, no matter how much you try to remove it. Her trauma was too scarred that it affected Qiao Xi, but that's not enough reason to actually force him into something he is not. She may not be a perfect mother, and to be honest, she is too far away from being a perfect mother. But, hopefully, as the story progresses, she will eventually change her mind and become less selfish instead of pushing her expectations towards her son. As Qi Le said, Qiao Xi needs a mother, not mathematics.
ACTING ANALYSIS:
1. Zhao Jin Mai as Qi Le - this is the first time I have ever watched her drama as a main role, and I would say that her acting is astounding. I have tried watching her other dramas before, but could never try to continue the next episode. This one, however, is a different deal. It feels like Qi Le and Jin Mai are just one person, no acting.
2. Zhang Ling He as Qiao Xi - as always, he could never disappoint me. May it be fierce-looking, crying scenes, happy scenes, or even the saddest scenes, his facial expressions would always exceed expectations. He has a very expressive face that makes it hard not to smile when he smiles. Playing as Qiao Xi, however, he does kind of look older than what year 10 is usually like, or that might be because I'm too used to seeing his face in historical roles. But then, even his voice sounds too deep and mature for someone to be underage. Acting-wise, he did it effortlessly well.
Overall, this drama has a great coming-of-age story that encompasses different family bonds. If you are into dramas like 'Go Ahead,' this is a type that you would definitely love. There are no boring scenarios in every episode that won't tempt you to skip some scenes. Character-wise, everyone seems dynamic except for the female lead so far, so it's quite fun to see the build-up of the story. Acting-wise, it's not cringeworthy or underwhelming, as they have outperformed, even with the supporting roles. This is definitely a must-try to watch as a youth drama, and I would love to see you put in a review about it as well.
This show is a tear-jerker, and I definitely know that by the end of the drama, I will cry in some parts. It showed not only one side of family struggles but also covered some of what it's like: we have a perfect family like Qi Le's whose parents have deep-rooted relationship with their daughter, a single father like Ye Yun's who still works despite his broken leg, an abusive partner like Du Shang's father, and a family with a broken bond like Qiao Xi. It covered not only one scenario of a family but also showed how different situation of parenting affects their child's growth, and I think that it's part of the reason why it's entitled 'Our generation.'
Starting as a child in the first episode, Qi Le grew up to be a very jolly girl, as having a parent who is always willing to support her gave her the comfort of connecting easily with others. On the other hand, Qiao Xi, having the opposite kind of family, forced him to be a quiet and timid child. As Qi Le shone her personality on him, it wasn't hard to develop some feelings towards her. And I think that this is a very natural feeling to have as a child, since having 'crushes' is something we can't avoid going through the teen phase, especially when you adore someone very much for a specific reason, like Qiao Xi's adoration for Qi Le's positive personality.
One thing that I love about this drama so far is how it shows not only the main character's family struggle but also the other supporting characters, like Du Shang and Ye Yun. Despite the drama only airing halfway, it already built up so many emotions towards the group, and how all of their relationship turned out to be like meeting again.
Our generation is definitely one of the best youth romance dramas out there, especially with the pacing of the story. It's so balanced and every episode was well crafted. I could barely see anything negative about it to point out. From family drama, to romance, and even the supporting characters are so good that they are not only existing there to shine the main characters, but they have their very own personalities.
CHARACTER ANALYSIS:
(will only mention the characters that impacted me most)
1. Lin Qi Le - a very positive character from the start until the updated episode. She is the type that I believe most people would like to have in life, as a friend or as a person. She's honestly one of the greenest flag female lead in dramas - always positive and never lost hope with Qiao Xi. When most of the female leads separate after their partner tell them something to lose hope, Yingtao is someone who would always find a reason not to let go, and that's part of the reason why I can't blame Qiao Xi for loving her so much. She's such a gem.
2. Qiao Xi - He is a very well-rounded character and has shown huge progress halfway through the show. Starting off as a very timid boy who is scared of going against his parents, he will become someone who can finally stand on his feet. He used Qi Le's positive attitude as a drive to change himself for the better. And I think that his growth is one of the beautiful things I have seen so far. He clearly wasn't happy with what he did, and giving up on something he is not happy to do, but was forced to take action, requires so much courage. It took him years to finally step out of the shadow and tell them how he actually felt during those times they forced an expectation on him that he didn't want to achieve. Honestly, during the separation arc, I felt so bad for him having to struggle so much - and I can't really blame him for losing confidence that he can't even stand to see Yingtao, but then I'm glad that Yingtao was able to guide him back home again.
3. Qin Ye Yun (Qi Le's female friend) - to be honest, I really thought that she hates Qi Le since the beginning, as Qi Le mentioned having to dislike her, but then at the end, it was them being closer than the others. Growing up, Ye Yun has been with her father, who takes care of her and vice versa. Among all of the characters, she is so far the most emotionally mature that I have seen, very emotionally mature compared to the others. She was able to keep her romantic feelings in check, not blaming others for having the center of attention instead of her, or for putting the responsibility on the guy he liked just because she developed a feeling. Another thing about Ye Yun was her love towards her father, that she is selfless enough to even consider stopping going to school just so she can help provide for her father, and I think that's rare to see someone who is selfless enough willing to risk their future just to provide. And I am not saying that everyone should be this kind of person, but for a daughter who has only been with her father all her life, it is a very tender feeling to know that your child loves you that much.
4. Hong Fei (Qiao Xi's mother) - she loves someone who isn't there anymore and left someone who was there all along. Every mother can definitely relate to the loss of a child they have given birth to, and erasing that memory is so hard to do that it always stays there, no matter how much you try to remove it. Her trauma was too scarred that it affected Qiao Xi, but that's not enough reason to actually force him into something he is not. She may not be a perfect mother, and to be honest, she is too far away from being a perfect mother. But, hopefully, as the story progresses, she will eventually change her mind and become less selfish instead of pushing her expectations towards her son. As Qi Le said, Qiao Xi needs a mother, not mathematics.
ACTING ANALYSIS:
1. Zhao Jin Mai as Qi Le - this is the first time I have ever watched her drama as a main role, and I would say that her acting is astounding. I have tried watching her other dramas before, but could never try to continue the next episode. This one, however, is a different deal. It feels like Qi Le and Jin Mai are just one person, no acting.
2. Zhang Ling He as Qiao Xi - as always, he could never disappoint me. May it be fierce-looking, crying scenes, happy scenes, or even the saddest scenes, his facial expressions would always exceed expectations. He has a very expressive face that makes it hard not to smile when he smiles. Playing as Qiao Xi, however, he does kind of look older than what year 10 is usually like, or that might be because I'm too used to seeing his face in historical roles. But then, even his voice sounds too deep and mature for someone to be underage. Acting-wise, he did it effortlessly well.
Overall, this drama has a great coming-of-age story that encompasses different family bonds. If you are into dramas like 'Go Ahead,' this is a type that you would definitely love. There are no boring scenarios in every episode that won't tempt you to skip some scenes. Character-wise, everyone seems dynamic except for the female lead so far, so it's quite fun to see the build-up of the story. Acting-wise, it's not cringeworthy or underwhelming, as they have outperformed, even with the supporting roles. This is definitely a must-try to watch as a youth drama, and I would love to see you put in a review about it as well.
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