Chinese dramas and films

The long-awaited second season of «Boy Hood» (Boy Hood Season 2, 我们的少年时代2) premiered on August 16, 2026, airing on Hunan TV and Mango TV. The first season originally aired nine years ago, in 2017.

What sets this drama apart is its casting: all the lead roles of high school students are played by genuinely young actors. The youngest cast member is 16, while the oldest is 19. Despite their age, the production used the actors' own voices for dubbing, which viewers have praised for adding authenticity and a genuine sense of teenage life to their performances.

Set in a school environment, the series follows a group of teenagers fighting to save their basketball club from disbandment. Eight main characters, including team captain Gu Chenyang (played by Zhang Guiyuan) and newcomer Lin Qingyuan (played by Chen Yiheng), band together to rescue the club. Alongside their basketball efforts, they turn an abandoned warehouse into a rehearsal space and form a band.

The storyline centres on friendship, team spirit, overcoming challenges, and reconciling with parents, with virtually no romance arcs. This is a story about real boys and the issues they face at that age. The trailer promises plenty of sports action, for which the actors underwent special training.

The series is scheduled for 36 episodes (though some sources list 23). Pre-release registrations across platforms surpassed 1.4 million, and on launch day, several related topics trended in search rankings.

However, fans of the first season have expressed disappointment over the cast change and the shift away from the baseball theme, arguing that the project is merely capitalising on a well-known brand name with little connection to the original. After a nine-year gap, it is unclear how the series could logically return to the same actors and same school setting.

On the other hand, the natural charm and youthful energy of the young cast have won over a different segment of the audience. Such dramas are essential – they serve as training grounds for the next generation of actors. It would be far stranger to see 30-year-old stars playing high school students.

Below is the full list of lead cast members:

Zhang Guiyuan as Gu Chenyang – the cool and detached team captain, a master of left-handed three-point shots.

Wang Lujie as Fu Binyan – the team analyst who gave up basketball due to injury, cold on the outside but warm-hearted.

Chen Yiheng as Lin Qingyuan – a passionate newcomer who fights alongside his teammates, transforming from strangers into comrades battling shoulder to shoulder.

The other actors are Zuo Qihan, Zhang Hanrui, Chen Sihan, Chen Junming, and Yang Bowen.

Chen Yitong takes on the sole female role as the team manager.

Adult roles – teachers and coaches – are played by Li Zhi and Tu Song Yan.