Our Generation starring Zhao Jinmai and Zhang Linghe: Plot, cast, expected release window, and everything we know so far
On May 12, the highly anticipated poster of the new Chinese drama Our Generation was officially released on Weibo, gaining attention from fans. The drama features Zhao Jinmai and Zhang Linghe as the lead actors. The two reunite after their successful collaboration in the hit wuxia series The Princess Royal.
Our Generation, alternatively titled Cherry Amber, is set to be released in the summer of 2025 tentatively. Set in the early 1990s, Our Generation tells a tender coming-of-age tale about 2 young people from opposing backgrounds whose natures are also diametrically opposite. Though they are poles apart, they form a strong connection that assists them in overcoming personal traumas, and this leads to an emotional love story.
Our Generation, starring Zhao Jinmai and Zhang Linghe, unveils first poster and storyline details: Cast, plot, and release info inside
The just-released poster of Our Generation shows Zhao Jinmai and Zhang Linghe wearing school uniforms. They sit on a bus together side by side as they listen to music with a shared earphone.
In Our Generation, based on Yun Zhu's hit web novel Ying Tao Hu Po (樱桃琥珀), Zhao Jinmai portrays the character Lin Qile, popularly called Cherry. She is a bright, happy girl brought up in a little mountain town.
She grows up with love, joy, and warmth among her loving parents, elders, and a group of close friends, such as Yu Qiao, Qin Yeyun, Du Shang, and Cai Fangyuan. They all grow up together at the Qunshan Electric Construction site, building up unbreakable bonds under the care of their families.
Cherry's world of peace is disrupted when Jiang Qiaoxi, played by Zhang Linghe, moves to her school from the provincial capital. A peer of the same age, Jiang Qiaoxi is a child prodigy in mathematics who carries an aura of being a genius, but he is aloof and withdrawn.
His quiet, introverted personality and his apparently cold attitude make him stand out from the lively background of Qunshan. Underneath his cold exterior is a troubled history, with his parents treating him only as a substitute for his older brother, who died prematurely. This responsibility makes Jiang Qiaoxi emotionally numb and withdrawn.
Cherry’s warmth becomes a rare source of comfort in Jiang Qiaoxi’s otherwise bleak world. Alongside her family’s kindness, Cherry becomes a pivotal figure in his life, second only to his life mentor cousin. However, as the seasons change and time moves forward, Cherry and her friends begin to experience the bittersweet realities of growing up. They gradually drift apart as they each pursue different paths.
Years later, the erstwhile inseparable friends meet again at the provincial experimental school. They go through three grueling years of learning and struggle together, encouraging one another as they pursue their aspirations of venturing into a wider world. In the midst of this, Jiang Qiaoxi, who has been once full of ambition and promise, departs without saying a word, leaving behind memories of their youth and an open-ended past.
Our Generation spins a narrative of young people, healing, disconnection, and reunions, presenting the emotional process of self-discovery and love amidst the context of a rapidly transforming world, as per COMINGSOON.NET.
The series is helmed by director Zhang Kai Zhou. Daylight Entertainment and Youku are collaborating on the production, and the show has already gained a lot of traction, racking up a high volume of bookings on Youku's platform.
Our Generation will air on CCTV and Youku in the summer of 2025. Though further release-related information is yet to be disclosed, the drama is expected to have a total of 40 episodes, with each episode running for approximately 45 minutes.
Apart from Zhang Linghe and Zhao Jinmai, Our Generation has an extensive supporting cast. The lineup includes Ma Qi Yue, Jeremy Zuo, Hu Jia Xin, Dong Jie, Bao Jian Feng, Dong Xuan, Zhang Duo, Ren Dong Lin, and Chen Yu Tong.
Previous projects of cast of Our Generation
Zhao Jinmai (赵今麦), born September 29, 2002, is a well-known Chinese actress. She started her acting career as a child during the early 2010s, and she appeared in several films and TV series. Zhao became recognized by the public as a child star through hits of children's fantasy movie series such as Balala the Fairies: The Magic Trial (2014) and Balala the Fairies: Princess Camellia (2015).
Her big break was with the 2019 sci-fi hit The Wandering Earth, followed by lead roles in popular dramas such as Growing Pain (2019), A Little Thing Called First Love (2019), and the award-winning time-loop thriller Reset (2022). Zhao further gained enormous popularity in 2024 with leading roles in The Princess Royal and Amidst a Snowstorm of Love.
Zhang Linghe (张凌赫), born on December 30, 1997, is a Chinese actor. He first appeared on television in 2020 with the costume romance drama Maiden Holmes and also starred in the youth romance series Sparkle Love in the same year. In 2021, he played roles in the urban romance drama Love Crossed and the youth school drama Flourish in Time.
Zhang also portrayed Chang Heng, the god of war, in the fantasy romance drama Love Between Fairy and Devil in 2022. He subsequently appeared in the 2023 costume romance Story of Kunning Palace and historical drama My Journey to You. His latest credit that brought the actor popularity was The Princess Royal (2024).
Our Generation is expected to be released later this year.
