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| Reborn: Zhang Jingyi and Zhou Yiran Explore Complex Trauma and Mystery in Groundbreaking Youth Drama |
THE TENSION, THE CHEMISTRY, THE CINEMATOGRAPHY OF THIS SCENE, THEIR FACE CARDS, EVERYTHING IS SO PERFECT #Reborn pic.twitter.com/hMcKnOPXXP
— a. (@zyirancore) June 28, 2025
Related: Reborn Recap
The story centres on 16-year-old Qiao Qingyu (Zhang Jingyi), a transfer student who starts poking at the mystery of her older sister’s suspicious death from six years back. Helping her on this risky quest is Mingsheng (Zhou Yiran), the school’s rebellious golden boy with a hidden soft side. As they untangle the village’s secrets, they’re forced to confront their own pain, slowly mending themselves along the way.
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In a proper chinwag with Sohu Entertainment, Zhang Jingyi opened up about Qingyu’s rocky ties with her parents, which mirror a wider generation gap. “During her search for the truth, Qingyu begins to understand her parents more — and also understands the world her sister lived in,” Zhang explained, sounding every bit as thoughtful as her character.
Meanwhile Zhou Yiran described Mingsheng as a “prickly on the outside, but gentle and upright on the inside” type of bloke. He joked about Mingsheng’s mix of traits — 60% companionship, 20% childishness, 20% chill — a formula that’s left female fans swooning over this surprisingly realistic hero.
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| Zhang Jingyi and Zhou Yiran Reveal Behind-the-Scenes Moments and Future Collaboration Hopes in Reborn |
Their chemistry is proper authentic, too. Zhang laughed about their first filming day when she caught Zhou flat out on the floor after a scene. “I thought, wow, he’s so chill and genuine, no idol airs at all,” she teased. Zhou had a good chuckle and confessed he didn’t even know she’d snapped a photo of him. “But I’ve got a photo of her sleeping in class as revenge,” he joked back.
Favourite scenes? The two instantly pointed to the finale. Zhang fondly remembered a peaceful day filming at an amusement park while the sun dipped below the horizon. Zhou added, “And the snow scene at the end — you’ll want to replay that.”
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Off-screen, Zhang shared that Reborn even helped her look back on an old song she’d recorded four years ago, before she had a clue about acting. “Back then, I was so lost,” she admitted. “I thought of re-recording it, but realised that rawness was precious. So I just let it be.”
Zhou, on the other hand, spilled about a solo road trip to Iceland he’d recently done. “The views were unreal, but the food? Nah,” he laughed, admitting he packed instant noodles and Lao Gan Ma chilli sauce just in case. As for those fans who see his livestreams as boyfriend-role material, Zhou shrugged. “It’s just me sharing my downtime, that’s all.”
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When quizzed on a future collab, both stars were keen, though not back in a high school setting, thanks. “We could do sci-fi,” Zhang Jingyi mused. “Or rally car partners!” Zhou Yiran suggested. “She’s the navigator, I’m the driver.”
Viewers and critics alike have praised Reborn for boldly exploring inherited trauma and community silence through the teenage lens, a rare move in its genre.
It’s emotional, raw, and unafraid to get messy — with Zhang Jingyi and Zhou Yiran delivering natural, heartfelt performances that do the story proper justice. If you’re in the mood for a coming-of-age mystery with a real punch, Reborn is absolutely worth the watch.
Tencent Video & Xixi Pictures’ youth romance drama #Reborn releases new vid of Zhang Jingyi and Zhou Yiran 周翊然#焕羽
— cdrama tweets (@dramapotatoe) June 11, 2025
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