Born in 1990 (2022)

Nostalgic and sweet, definitely one of the better modern short-lengths

This is clearly an undiscovered little gem. For a short-length series, especially a modern one, this is one of the more well-produced dramas I've seen -- even more so considering it does not have the backing of the major streaming platforms like WeTV or iQiyi, etc. (you can watch it on Jiang Shiqi's Douyin (aka TikTok) account and on YouTube).

While the story is imperfect, and significantly simpler than its full-length contemporaries, it evokes a similar mood as "Wait, My Youth", "A River Runs Through It" and other comparable coming-of-age youth dramas set in the not-too-distant past. Filmed in Xiamen, it's a story about first love, childhood friendships, and contains many of the classic school drama tropes. Wang Zuyi is perfectly cast as the earnest boy next door, and the rest of the actors do an admirable job playing classmates and parents. Episode 7 is perhaps the strongest one, and really illustrates how much story, emotion one can pack into a tight, five minutes. There are some small, but obvious editing issues in a few spots, (e.g. for whatever reason a few lines had to be dubbed, and they really stick out), and a few brief moments in the second half that felt more like the cheesy/cringy short-lengths I've come to expect, but overall, I was impressed with this modest production.

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