National Defence Student (国防生)

Set on the campus of Huahang University, this is China‘s first drama to fully portray the lives of national defence students—young men and women who are both university students and reserve officers. Su Han, a rebellious girl raised in a single-parent family, dreams of escaping from her police captain father’s control. When he forces her into the national defence programme, she reluctantly enters a world of strict military discipline, grueling drills, and unwavering patriotism. There, her fate intertwines with her strict new instructor, Gao Chong—a Marine Corps officer on a special assignment—as well as a group of lively classmates. As she grapples with lost romances, clashing ambitions, and the heavy pressures of her destiny, Su Han gradually undergoes an unforgettable transformation, rising to become a true pillar of her country.

With 28 episodes (approx. 45 min each), the series can be broadly divided into four main story arcs:

• Act 1: Reluctant Enlistment & Clashes with Authority (Episodes 1-9): Against her will, Su Han is pushed by her father into becoming a national defence student, where she clashes head-on with the harsh discipline of her instructor, Gao Chong. Tensions rise among the dormitory mates as Su Han reluctantly takes on the role of squad monitor, and a love triangle begins to form among the recruits.
• Act 2: Forging Bonds Under Fire (Episodes 10-18): The recruits bond together during intense summer training, facing their first real military challenges. The story dives deeper into the dilemmas of the supporting cast, including a student battling poverty and the instructor’s own internal struggles, while Su Han finds a new purpose in a series of military competitions.
• Act 3: Testing Times & Heartfelt Confessions (Episodes 19-24): The ambitious Shen Yuchuan is ultimately eliminated from a critical selection, bringing harsh lessons about the unforgiving nature of the military. Meanwhile, Su Han and Jiang Tian’s fate is twisted by a web of miscommunication and jealous actions from other students, complicating their personal journeys as graduation looms.
• Act 4: Graduation & A Bittersweet Farewell (Episodes 25-28): In the final chapters, the young adults prepare for graduation, with some chosen for a submarine mission and others ready to be deployed. Instructor Gao Chong decides to stay at the university, having found her place. Recalling their bittersweet campus memories beside a river, Su Han and Jiang Tian finally let go of their unresolved romance. As the friends depart for military service across the country, Su Han returns home to finally reconcile with her father.