Ray of Light
追光的日子
Completed · Premiered 2023-06-29 · 30 episodes · ~45 min/ep
About this drama
After a failed business venture, unconventional teacher Hao Nan returns to the classroom as a homeroom instructor for a group of struggling seniors. He guides students like the resilient Ren Zhen through the intense pressures of the upcoming college entrance exams. As they navigate academic challenges and personal hardships, both the teacher and his pupils find mutual respect and the courage to pursue their dreams.
Who this is for
Viewers who like grounded gaokao and teacher-student dramas about family pressure, failure and second chances, and who want a show they could watch with teenagers. Skip it if you are looking for a romance; the teen pairing is a light side thread, and some viewers found the class bond less convincing than the teacher's story.
Our take
Set in 2011, this CCTV/Youku youth drama follows a disgraced teacher who takes over a school's lowest-ranked class, including a girl repeating her final year after missing her gaokao target. Viewers praise Guo Jingfei's warm, unshowy teacher and say Ren Min and Roy Wang give natural performances, and Chinese coverage credits it with avoiding melodrama and mixing humour with the tears. Reviewers note it treats each student's home problems realistically and is light on romance, which pleased most fans but disappointed those hoping the leads would pair off. Complaints are milder: one reviewer did not feel the classmates' camaraderie, and the teacher's own backstory is a little melodramatic next to the rest of the show.
Pacing & content notes
Heads up
- Neglectful and controlling parents
- Bullying
- Grief and guilt over a sibling's death
- Suicide is touched on
- Harsh family discipline and domestic mistreatment themes
Where to watch
- Youku · Official title pageAvailability varies by region; check the platform.
Cast
Directed by Han Tian, Su Haoqi
- Guo Jingfei as Hao Nan
- Ren Min as Ren Zhen
- Roy Wang as Gao Yuan
Your Watchlist
Your personal rating (optional)
Saved in this browser only. Nothing is sent to a server.
Should I watch?
- Assessed as having a strong female lead
- Assessed as having no love triangle
- Modern setting
Story traits
- Romance
- 1 / 10
- Angst
- 6 / 10
- Comedy
- 4 / 10
- Pacing
- 5 / 10
Traits and editorial notes are researched from published sources with AI assistance and editorially checked (how we review).
Tags
- Drama
Ending
Hopeful for the students but bittersweet, with some threads left unresolved.
Ending classification & spoiler details (optional reveal)
Reveals the ending classification (happy, sad, bittersweet or open) and ending details if available.
Frequently compared with
- Don't Disturb My Study
- The Hope
- A River Runs Through It
- School 2013
C-dramas like Ray of Light
Cicada · 2026 · 21 episodes · Match 98/100
- Assessed as having no love triangle
- Assessed as having a strong female lead
- Modern setting, like Ray of Light
Reset · 2022 · 15 episodes · Match 98/100
- Assessed as having no love triangle
- Assessed as having a strong female lead
- Modern setting, like Ray of Light
Eagles And Youngster · 2018 · 40 episodes · Match 97/100
- Assessed as having no love triangle
- Assessed as having a strong female lead
- Modern setting, like Ray of Light
Definitely Not Today · 2021 · 8 episodes · Match 97/100
- Assessed as having no love triangle
- Assessed as having a strong female lead
- Modern setting, like Ray of Light
A Better Life · 2025 · 36 episodes · Match 96/100
- Assessed as having no love triangle
- Assessed as having a strong female lead
- Modern setting, like Ray of Light
Ranked by traits in common with Ray of Light: setting, genres, tropes and editorial dimensions. A fit index, not a quality score, and the same for everyone.