"That kind of devotion, it was unrestrained."
“Our Generation” is a heartfelt and beautifully filmed story, but can be a bit of a gloomy watch.
It follows a group of childhood friends nearing the end of high school as they navigate crushes, rivalries, and family strife.
Zhao Jin Mai plays Lin Ying Tao (“Cherry”), a lively young woman who’s a bit of a troublemaker and feels things intensely. Even after years apart, she can’t forget her childhood companion, Jiang Qiao Xi.
Qiao Xi is a top student who’s considered a prodigy, but he's also reserved and not the most emotionally intelligent. With an unhappy family life and a controlling, emotionally abusive mother, the only time he ever smiles is around Cherry.
The two had a deep bond as children, but when they reunite in high school, they have to fight hard to rekindle their friendship — first against misunderstandings, then against people actively trying to keep them apart and unexpected circumstances.
Both actors do a fine job portraying the transition from teens to young adults. They deliver a palpable chemistry as friends who clearly adore each other but aren’t quite sure how to express it. Zhang Ling He in particular gives a nuanced performance — his Qiao Xi has a sadness and maturity that gives the character a magnetic presence. It’s a shame they spend much of the series apart.
I was expecting a sweet coming-of-age story from the trailer, but there ended up being more heartbreak than I anticipated. However, the relationship between the leads is a beautiful one characterized by an unrestrained devotion (as one of their classmates puts it) that endures through hardship to a happy ending. This kind of deep and unwavering commitment at such a young age might not be very realistic, but it makes for good fiction.
So many dramas feature miscommunication or people saying things they don’t mean, and while there’s some of that here, “Our Generation” also has a number of extended conversations where characters talk through their problems and properly express their emotions, especially in the last several episodes. It’s refreshing, and some of the best dialogue I’ve encountered in a drama.
With the right expectations for what kind of story you’re getting into, it’s a worthwhile watch — aside from good writing and performances, the series also features some nice music and is filmed in a warm, nostalgic color palette.
It follows a group of childhood friends nearing the end of high school as they navigate crushes, rivalries, and family strife.
Zhao Jin Mai plays Lin Ying Tao (“Cherry”), a lively young woman who’s a bit of a troublemaker and feels things intensely. Even after years apart, she can’t forget her childhood companion, Jiang Qiao Xi.
Qiao Xi is a top student who’s considered a prodigy, but he's also reserved and not the most emotionally intelligent. With an unhappy family life and a controlling, emotionally abusive mother, the only time he ever smiles is around Cherry.
The two had a deep bond as children, but when they reunite in high school, they have to fight hard to rekindle their friendship — first against misunderstandings, then against people actively trying to keep them apart and unexpected circumstances.
Both actors do a fine job portraying the transition from teens to young adults. They deliver a palpable chemistry as friends who clearly adore each other but aren’t quite sure how to express it. Zhang Ling He in particular gives a nuanced performance — his Qiao Xi has a sadness and maturity that gives the character a magnetic presence. It’s a shame they spend much of the series apart.
I was expecting a sweet coming-of-age story from the trailer, but there ended up being more heartbreak than I anticipated. However, the relationship between the leads is a beautiful one characterized by an unrestrained devotion (as one of their classmates puts it) that endures through hardship to a happy ending. This kind of deep and unwavering commitment at such a young age might not be very realistic, but it makes for good fiction.
So many dramas feature miscommunication or people saying things they don’t mean, and while there’s some of that here, “Our Generation” also has a number of extended conversations where characters talk through their problems and properly express their emotions, especially in the last several episodes. It’s refreshing, and some of the best dialogue I’ve encountered in a drama.
With the right expectations for what kind of story you’re getting into, it’s a worthwhile watch — aside from good writing and performances, the series also features some nice music and is filmed in a warm, nostalgic color palette.
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