Viewer Rating
Combines user and critic ratings from four sources
Drama, Comedy, Romance • 2017 • 103 min

A Chinese high school comedy-drama about a scrappy traditional music ensemble fighting for respect against the school's more prestigious Western orchestra club. The cultural underdog framing is the main reason this lands as Leans Progressive. Championing a marginalized art form against an established, dominant institution reads as an anti-hegemony narrative, even when the film is also deeply rooted in Chinese cultural pride and heritage. Those two forces pull in opposite directions: progressive in its rebellious structure, traditional in its reverence for classical Chinese music. No religion, no LGBTQ content, and no political commentary push the needle further. The result is a mild lean rather than a strong signal in either direction.
Lulu Xu • Yuchang Peng • Mingjie Luo
A Chinese high school comedy-drama about a scrappy traditional music ensemble fighting for respect against the school's more prestigious Western orchestra club. The cultural underdog framing is the main reason this lands as Leans Progressive. Championing a marginalized art form against an established, dominant institution reads as an anti-hegemony narrative, even when the film is also deeply rooted in Chinese cultural pride and heritage. Those two forces pull in opposite directions: progressive in its rebellious structure, traditional in its reverence for classical Chinese music. No religion, no LGBTQ content, and no political commentary push the needle further. The result is a mild lean rather than a strong signal in either direction.
Lulu Xu • Yuchang Peng • Mingjie Luo
The film's central narrative champions the empowerment of a marginalized cultural group and the celebration of its unique identity against a dominant, dismissive force, aligning with progressive values of diversity and anti-hegemony.
This Chinese production features an entirely Chinese cast, reflecting its cultural setting rather than engaging in explicit DEI-driven casting or traditional white/mainstream representation. The narrative centers on a coming-of-age story within a school, focusing on themes of music and friendship without explicitly critiquing traditional identities.
The film's central theme of celebrating and preserving traditional Chinese music inherently promotes respect for cultural heritage and, by extension, traditional values, including an implied respect for elders and established norms, positioning it as leaning traditional.
The film does not feature any identifiable LGBTQ+ characters or themes. Its narrative centers on a group of high school students forming a band and navigating challenges related to music and friendship. While a character performs in drag, this is presented as a theatrical choice for a competition rather than an explicit exploration of queer identity.
The film 'Our Shining Days' does not feature any identifiable transgender characters or themes. Its narrative centers on a group of high school students passionate about traditional Chinese music, focusing on themes of youth, friendship, and the pursuit of dreams within a musical competition setting.
The movie does not contain any action or adventure elements.
The film "Our Shining Days" is an original story with characters created specifically for this production. There is no evidence of it being an adaptation of prior source material or a biopic, meaning no characters were previously established with a different gender.
This film is an original Chinese production with characters created specifically for this movie. There is no pre-existing source material, historical figures, or prior adaptations from which character races could be established and subsequently altered.
Not depicted in the film.
Combines user and critic ratings from four sources























