That was my first drama of 2019 and I think I made the right choice, it was absolutely refreshing and sweet <3.

After hearing only positive things about When We Were Young I thought it was an overrated drama and that I won't like it as much as others did but it was the exact opposite , I just loved it and would definitely recommend it to all those who want to reminisce about their high school days or simply about their youth. And despite having prejudices against this drama before starting it what made me want to venture into it was the 90s setting being myself born in the early 90s and a huge fan of that time period, I just couldn't miss that one no matter how prejudiced I was before starting it (I know it's bad). Yes, I think this drama totally deserves all the positive critics it received.

To be honest after I watched the first few episodes I was quite impressed, I immediately fell in love with the whole group of friends and particularly with Hua Biao. Their friendship and the overall drama seemed so authentic and beautiful that I was actually really happy I chose this one as my first of 2019.

Firstly I would love to mention about the friendship in this drama because this is what I loved the most, and it was so powerful that I could feel it was real.
-Hua Biao, Yang Xi, Si Tu Er Tiao, Li Yu, Yang Xiao He Mei. A little mention for Huang Deng Deng.
I'm a sucker for friendship dramas and I generally always enjoy them but in this drama it was even more special (for me) because those 5 persons are such genereous, kindhearted persons, doing things not expecting anything in return, I have so many examples but that would be pointless mentioning them. I just can't tell how many times Hua Biao did something for Yang Xi and the others without even telling them, same goes for Si Tu Er Tiao who is such an adorable and selfless boy, Huang Deng Deng all what she did for Li Yu and so on. So yeah I really fell in love with them because there's a meaning behind each of their action even though at first we might not understand why they are behaving in such a way.

And now Hua Biao who left the biggest impression on me. I have to say that I had a real crush for Hua Biao's character, he's a pure GEM and his smile aaaaw <3. All the characters are adorable and selfless but Hua Biao he's on another level in my opinion. He's a friend you can depend on and who will never let you down, he's having a difficult time taking care of his sick grandmother but if you need him for something he would never refuse helping his friends and other acquaintances. He would always find a way to make others happy . Well I could say more but I will stop here.
As for the female lead I really liked her too though she's kind of impulsive but she's a really caring and lovely girl. And I really enjoyed her interactions with Hua Biao and her brother.

Lastly I need to mention about the 90s setting and the realism of the drama. I found the story quite realistic especially the way the characters are portrayed in the drama. I really could see myself in all of them, the way they interact with their family, friends and teachers, and aaaah the scenes between Yang Xi and her brother are really funny and realistic. What I loved the most about the 90s though it was the apparition of videos games and such, teens knew how to have fun like we can see in ''When We Were Young'' :
-Reading books, we could seen them reading some famous wuxia novels like ''Legend of Condor Heroes and The Return of the Condor Heroes'' etc, and they were so happy talking about their fave characters of the books.
-Going to the theater with friends, watching famous movies of that time.
-Spending time in each others' houses, when Hua Biao and Li Yu went to Yang Xi's house and or Yang Xi, Si Tu Er Tiao and others were gathering in Hua Biao's rooftop.
this is what I remember about the 90s and why those years are so special to me though I was still a kid. That's also probably why this drama resonated so much with me.
Oh and about realism, I really loved the ending, I found it realistic and very satisfying. I couldn't imagine another ending if you were to ask me.

In conclusion, I really recommend this drama for all those who are looking for a heartwarming and lighthearted drama because that's what it was for me.

*I gave an 8,5 rating because I truly enjoyed the drama and felt so much emotion while following, Yang Xi, Hua Biao, Si tu Er Tiao, Li Yu and the others's adventures and it reminded me how valuable my high school years were and how much I love that time. I couldn't give more for some personal reasons but all I can say is that it was the best school drama I watched from China and I want to watch more dramas like this one ;).