The intense academic workloads and stressful campus life of the final year before China’s college entrance exams, known as the gaokao, are etched into the memories of millions of middle school graduates, and the widely relatable experience has inspired the creation of many films and TV series.

Ray of Light, a 30-episode series that recently concluded its first run on CCTV-1, has received online acclaim for doing something new with this familiar theme, according to insiders and critics at a recent symposium organized by the China Television Arts Commission.

The coming-of-age tale follows a teenage girl as she experiences disappointment after failing to get a satisfactory score on her exams. As a result, she decides to retake a third grade class to prepare for the exams again, where she meets an unlikely head teacher, who appears to be carefree on the surface, but who actually harbors a deep passion for education. With the help of the teacher, who coaches the girl and her classmates in math, the students manage to pursue their dreams despite the challenges they encounter.

The series has a score of 7.9 out of 10 on the popular review aggregator Douban, and has garnered over 2.4 billion clicks to related topics on social media platform, SinaWeibo.

Weng Bo, deputy director of the Department of Teacher Education at the Ministry of Education, said that the drama has injected a breath of fresh air into youth-themed dramas, while exploring a range of important issues like career development for teachers and youth mental health.

Ma Jun, deputy head of the television program department at the China Media Group, said the drama takes a realistic tone in its exploration of sensitive issues at middle school, such as campus bullying and the psychological impact of stressful exams. This authentic approach lends the production a sincerity that resonates with young audiences, he added.