18-Year-Old Sky (十八岁的天空) is a Chinese high school drama inspired by Great Teacher Onizuka that aired 2003-2004, spanning 22 episodes.
One of the most well-known high school dramas in mainland China, it stars Bao Jianfeng as the quirky and unconventional Gu Yuetao, a newly hired high school teacher, who is determined to bring out the best from each and every one of his students. He meets challenges in the form of his tomboyish and Mood-Swinger coworker Pei Pei (Ni Jingyang), the somewhat antagonistic student Shi Yanfeng (Li Zhinan), and constant complaints from parents concerning his untraditional teaching methods. Although his students vary greatly in terms of academics and personality, Yuetao helps them in not only an educational sense, but also by establishing a personal connection, helping them see past the horizons of their eighteen-year-old sky.
A sequel, "Eighteen-Year-Old Sky 2", aired from 2012-2013.
This show provides examples of:
- Alpha Bastard: Yanfeng, to some extent.
- Badass Teacher: Pretty much required of this genre.
- Catchphrase: "[insert student name here] is a very unique student..."
- Character Development: The point of the entire series is for Yuetao to gradually develop each of his students.
- Defrosting Ice Queen: Wu Dandan can be seen as such following the events of episode 8. In addition, Pei Pei eventually warms up to Yuetao's antics.
- Determinator: Yuetao, and a lot of the teachers as well, when it comes to helping a student.
- Gratuitous English: Though this is a given for Chinese dramas in modern settings.
- Shi Yanfeng's cohorts nickname him "Star".
- This is used as an interjection between students a lot in China.
- Hidden Depths: A lot of the teachers and students have these; in fact, almost one is revealed every episode.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Yanfeng turns out to be this.
- Kick the Dog: Wu Dandan does this to the poor guy who asks her out to the most expensive restaurant in the city.
- Large Ham: Teacher Gu Yuetao.
- Manipulative Bastard: Shi Yanfeng's many plots to get Teacher Gu fired.
- Nerd Glasses: A few of the students.
- New Transfer Student: Wu Dandan.
- Ordinary High-School Student: At least, until they become the Student of the Week.
- Papa Wolf: Do NOT mess with Gu Yuetao's students.
- Present-Day Past: This show was filmed in 2003, and technology that runs rampant in the current day (such as smartphones and readily-accessible computers) are noticeably not present.
- Screw the Rules, I Have Connections!: Shi Yanfeng's defiance to Yuetao can be summed up as such.
- Silly Rabbit, Idealism Is for Kids!: One of the reasons why certain characters resist change.
- Tsundere: Pei Pei, Type A, but only to Yuetao.
