Reborn is a 2025 Chinese drama released in June. It stars Zhang Jingyi and Zhou Yiran in the lead roles. The drama is directed by Liu Ziwei and written by Qian Jingjing and Xu Ziyuan. It adapts the web novel Huan Yu by Qiang Yu. The drama is 23 episodes long and portrays youth, romance, and suspense genres.
Quick Summary
Title: Reborn (焕羽)
Genre: Youth, Mystery, Romance, Family Drama
Episodes: 23
Release: June 19, 2025 on Tencent Video
Main Cast: Zhang Jingyi (Qiao Qingyu), Zhou Yiran (Ming Sheng)
Supporting Cast: Wu You (Bei Yu), Liu Dan (mother Li Fanghao), Huang Xiyan (Jinrui), plus others .
Directed by: Liu Ziwei
Written by: Qian Jingjing, Xu Ziyuan
Based on novel: Huan Yu by Qiang Yu
Themes: Justice, stigma, mental health, redemption over revenge
Available on: WeTV, Viki (English subs), Youtube, iQIYI .
Cast and characters in Reborn
- Zhang Jingyi plays Qiao Qingyu
Qingyu is the lead. She’s young, quiet, and observant, but she becomes fierce once she starts learning more about her sister’s life. - Zhou Yiran portrays Ming Sheng
Ming Sheng is Qingyu’s classmate in Huanzhou. He’s gentle, honest, and becomes one of the few people Qingyu can trust as she digs deeper. - Wu You as Qiao Bei Yu
Beiyu, although not alive during the show’s main timeline, appears often through flashbacks and memories. She’s kind, shy, and clearly burdened by things she never shared out loud. - Jinrui is their cousin, and his role in Beiyu’s life becomes central to the story. He seems distant at first, but he hides a dark connection to Beiyu’s past.
- Supporting cast includes Liu Dan as Li Fanghao, the emotionally troubled mother; Huang Xiyan as Qiao Jinrui, Qingyu’s cousin; Huang Yi, Chen Xixu, Wang Yidi, Sun Tianyu, Cao Weiyu, Lu Xiaolin, and Cui Hang as other key characters.
- The writing and direction emphasize social issues, female perspectives, and family trauma through a mystery framed in youth drama style.
Detailed story of Reborn 2025 Chinese Drama
The story begins in 2007. Reborn tells the story of a teenage girl named Qingyu, who moves with her parents from a small rural village in Shunyun County to a bigger city called Huanzhou. This new life follows the mysterious death of her older sister, Bei Yu, six years earlier. A village rumor claims the entire community was complicit in what became effectively a murder. Qingyu becomes determined to uncover the painful truth behind her sister’s death. She finds an unexpected ally in Ming Sheng. Together, they peel back layers of stigma, shame, gossip, and silence that have haunted their family .
Qingyu’s investigation rattles extended family members. She learns about demands placed on Bei Yu to act as a companion for her cousin Jinrui. Beiyu suffered repeated harassment, was doxxed with rumors that she had HIV, and eventually died by suicide. The investigation exposes how cultural shame, stigma about women, and rural power structures destroyed her sister’s life .
Why Viewers Respond Strongly
Viewers and critics praise Reborn for diving deeply into cultural issues rarely tackled in youth dramas. The show explores stigma around women, AIDS-related gossip, mental health, and family silence. It frames these social conversations within a teenage mystery, making the story relatable and emotionally resonant .
Reviews point out that Qingyu initially resents Bei Yu’s memory, but gradually transforms that resentment into empathy and justice‑seeking. Ming Sheng provides unwavering support, but both characters grow by facing pain, not through cliché romance. Their bond evolves quietly, especially in the later episodes, without overt romantic scenes until near the finale .
Critical Reception and Themes
Cnovelholic gave Reborn a rating around 8.4⁄10, calling it “the kind of Chinese drama you turn to when you’re in the mood for something truly tear‑jerking.” That summary reflects the tone many viewers feel. It is heavy, thoughtful, and occasionally hard to watch, but rewarding emotionally .
MintyRecaps notes that the drama is not romance‑driven. The true focus is Qingyu’s family journey. Her grief, her mother’s depression, her own search for truth, and eventual growth. Romance is present but secondary to deeper themes like justice, support, and inner strength .
Dramaslot highlights family conflict, especially between Qingyu and her mother, as core emotional tension. The mother’s overprotectiveness and inability to properly grieve feed into Qingyu’s rebellion and quest. As those conflicts resolve, the family begins a process of healing and forgiveness.
Ending of Reborn Explained: Justice, Closure, Hope
In the final episode (episode 23), Qingyu takes her university entrance exams in peace, having uncovered the truth. Ming Sheng confronts and defeats the local bully “Black Bro” who had continued stalking the family. That bully ends up arrested and receives legal punishment. The grandparents and abusive uncle face ruin—Qin’s grandparents suffer failures and their influence collapses. The family ultimately severs ties with toxic relatives and moves Bei Yu’s ashes from their ancestral home to a public cemetery—a symbolic break from the past.
Qingyu enters Jiangzhou University in finance, though she hopes to study psychology someday so she can help others heal. Her mother receives treatment for depression and stabilizes. Her father quietly begins building a healthier family life. Her cousin Jinrui faces guilt and consequences. Other school classmates like Wang Mu Mu, Chen Hao, Guan Lan, Ye Zilin fulfill their academic dreams with Yun. Ming Sheng reunites his fragmented family: his father finds new love with Fang Yanqiu, his mother settles in France with another partner. Finally, Qingyu and Ming Sheng meet again at the lighthouse where they first bonded. They share a gentle embrace and a kiss, a restrained yet emotionally satisfying moment after all the hardship.
Viewing Platforms and International Reach
Viewers can stream Reborn on YouTube, where all 23 episodes with English subtitles are available for free. This makes the series easily accessible for international audiences. The drama is also available on WeTV, Viki, iQIYI, and Tencent Video, with multilingual subtitles. On Viki, Reborn has received high praise and maintains a strong average rating of 9.5/10, especially among viewers in regions like India, Southeast Asia, and the United States.
Final opinion on Reborn
Reborn is not a typical coming‑of‑age romance. It is a powerful story of grief, family secrets, societal shame, and emotional redemption. The plot moves slowly, but each scene matters. The relationship between Qingyu and Ming Sheng builds gently out of loyalty, trust, and shared pain, rather than instant attraction.
Its strength lies in confronting complicated social issues within a youth drama format. It provokes questions about culture, memory, responsibility, and healing. It offers emotional closure without excessive sentimentality. And it gives the audience a realistic portrayal of trauma that can eventually lead to hope.
If you want a youth drama that feels real, meaningful, and human—I recommend Reborn.
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