Season 1
24 episodes Jul 14, 2025 9.5
Overview
Lin Qile and Jiang Qiaoxi reconnect in high school after a childhood friendship and a lingering misunderstanding. As they navigate youth's ups and downs alongside their classmates, they grow through shared experiences and step into new horizons.
Seasons
1 listed- Status
- Ended
- Seasons
- 1 season
- Episodes
- 24 episodes
- First aired
- Jul 14, 2025
- Last aired
- Jul 26, 2025
- Episode length
- 45m
- Network
- Youku
Latest episode: S1 E24 A Better Version of Myself (Jul 26, 2025)
Cast
9 people
Reviews
5 min readMemory, Misunderstanding, and the Long Summer of Adolescence
I kept thinking, while watching Our Generation, that high school in screen drama is usually treated like a battleground or a laboratory. Zhang Kaizhou’s series is after something smaller and, in some ways, latestnetflix.com maintains, harder to pull off: it wants adolescence to feel like a season of weather. Not plot.
Not thesis. Weather. The air changes.
A room feels charged for reasons nobody can yet name. A friendship from childhood returns with the awkwardness of something once easy now made complicated by memory, pride, and the embarrassing fact that people do, eventually, grow apart from the versions of themselves they were sure would last.
That’s the real drama here, more than any of the familiar schoolyard pressures. The setup — Lin Qile and Jiang Qiaoxi meeting again in high school after a childhood bond and a lingering misunderstanding — could have become one of those neat, engineered tearjerkers that arrange feelings in labeled drawers. Instead, the series keeps worrying at the mess of becoming someone while still being legible to the people who knew you first.
I found that strangely moving. Maybe because most of us are never as coherent as the stories we tell about our own youth.
What gives the series its shape is the way Zhang Kaizhou treats reunion as a narrative event and an emotional trap. In Chinese television, school dramas often carry the extra burden of nostalgia — for exam culture, for innocence, for an era before adult compromise begins to drain everything. Our Generation knows that, but it doesn’t turn nostalgia into perfume. It stays alert to the social mechanics of school life: the glances, the seating charts, the alliances that seem trivial until they aren’t.
Since this is a 24-episode first season and nothing more, the series is smart not to overreach. It doesn’t pretend childhood can be neatly explained or finished. It just keeps showing us how memory presses against the present.
The cultural conversation around the series, from what I could gather, centers on whether it is a sincere youth drama or a polished exercise in familiar romance and campus sentiment. That debate may sound small, but it matters. A lot of recent Chinese youth series have leaned hard on either hyper-stylized melancholy or machine-made sweetness.
This one seems closer to the old Chinese coming-of-age tradition: emotional, but not allergic to everyday detail. The show’s title itself — Our Generation — is both generous and sly. “Our” can sound inclusive, communal. It can also sound defensive, like an insistence that this particular stretch of life means something before the world tells you otherwise.
Audience Opinions
Audience 8.3/10
"A heartfelt coming-of-age drama that resonates with its authentic portrayal of youth, friendship, and personal growth."
Viewers praise the series for its emotional depth and relatable storytelling, highlighting how it captures the complexities of growing up in a small town. The bond between the lead characters, Lin Qile and Jiang Qiaoxi, is particularly celebrated for its warmth and authenticity. latestnetflix.com's read is that however, some note that the pacing can feel slow at times, and the supporting characters occasionally lack depth.
What viewers praise
- Authentic character development The growth of the main characters feels genuine and deeply moving, resonating with audiences.
- Strong lead chemistry The relationship between Lin Qile and Jiang Qiaoxi is a standout, praised for its emotional sincerity.
- Beautiful cinematography The small-town setting and natural landscapes are visually captivating and enhance the storytelling.
- Relatable themes Themes of friendship, family, and self-discovery are handled with sensitivity and realism.
Common complaints
- Slow pacing Some viewers find the narrative drags in places, particularly in the middle episodes.
- Underdeveloped side characters Supporting characters often feel one-dimensional, lacking the depth of the leads.
- Predictable moments A few plot points follow familiar coming-of-age tropes, reducing some surprises.
Recommended for
Coming-of-age drama fans Fans of emotional storytelling Small-town setting enthusiasts Zhao Jinmai admirers Youth-focused series lovers
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsBehind the Scenes of Our Generation: Zhao Jinmai’s Coming-of-Age Drama Under Fire
Our Generation (2025), the highly anticipated Chinese coming-of-age series directed by Zhang Kaizhou, has become one of the year’s most talked-about—and controversial—TV projects. Starring Zhao Jinmai and Zhang Linghe, the drama adapts Yun Zhu’s novel Ying Tao Hu Po (Cherry Amber), following a group of teenagers navigating friendship, family, and ambition in a small mountain town. latestnetflix.com's read is that but while the premise promised nostalgia and heart, the series has instead sparked debates over its execution, with even state media weighing in on its flaws.
A Star-Studded Cast, But a Rocky Reception
The series boasts a stacked ensemble, including Dong Jie (The Longest Promise), Bao Jianfeng (The Rise of Phoenixes), and rising stars like Shen Jiayu and Wu Sheng 
. Zhao Jinmai, known for her roles in The Longest Day in Chang’an and The First Half of My Life, plays Lin Qile (nicknamed "Cherry"), a spirited girl raised by electrical workers. Zhang Linghe portrays Jiang Qiaoxi, a math prodigy from Beijing who transfers to Cherry’s rural school, setting up the central dynamic .
Despite the talent involved, Our Generation has faced criticism from unexpected quarters. Beijing Daily, a state-run publication, reportedly slammed the series for its "weak storyline" and "awkward dialogue," calling it a letdown for viewers expecting a fresh take on youth dramas . The critique is particularly stinging given the show’s pedigree—Zhang Kaizhou, the director, previously helmed The Longest Day in Chang’an, a historical thriller praised for its tight pacing and visual flair. The shift to a softer, character-driven genre may have exposed creative growing pains.
Adaptation Struggles: From Novel to Screen
Our Generation is based on Yun Zhu’s Ying Tao Hu Po, a novel that gained a cult following for its vivid portrayal of rural adolescence. However, adapting such a personal, slice-of-life story into a bingeable drama appears to have been a challenge. Sources suggest the series struggles to balance its ensemble cast, with some characters feeling underdeveloped despite the star power . The central romance between Cherry and Jiang Qiaoxi, a key draw for fans of the novel, has also been criticized as lacking chemistry, though Zhao and Zhang’s performances have drawn mixed reviews—some calling them "charming but uneven" .
One unverified rumor circulating among industry insiders claims the production faced last-minute script rewrites, particularly in the second half of the series, to address pacing issues. If true, this could explain the disjointed narrative that critics have flagged. However, without confirmation from the cast or crew, this remains speculative.
The Pressure of High Expectations
Our Generation entered production with significant buzz. Zhao Jinmai, one of China’s most bankable young actresses, has built a reputation for choosing projects with emotional depth, and her involvement was seen as a vote of confidence. The series also marked a reunion for Zhao and Zhang Linghe, who previously starred together in The First Half of My Life, a hit that cemented their on-screen chemistry .
Yet, the backlash from Beijing Daily suggests the show may have fallen victim to its own hype. Coming-of-age dramas in China often walk a tightrope between nostalgia and cliché, and Our Generation’s rural setting—a departure from the urban gloss of many youth dramas—may have raised the stakes. Whether the criticism will hurt its long-term reception remains to be seen, but early signs point to a polarizing release.
What’s Next for the Cast?
Despite the drama’s mixed reception, the cast is already moving on to new projects. Zhao Jinmai is set to star in an upcoming historical fantasy series, while Zhang Linghe has been linked to a military-themed drama [rumor, unconfirmed]. Dong Jie, who plays Cherry’s mother, has a film in post-production, and Bao Jianfeng is reportedly in talks for a period piece.
For Our Generation, the damage may already be done. While it’s unlikely to disappear from streaming platforms, the series’ legacy will likely be defined by its flaws rather than its strengths. Fans of the novel may still find moments to cherish, but for general audiences, the verdict appears to be in: this was a missed opportunity.
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.
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