Generation to Generation

A Forbidden Love full of Yearning (and a little toxicity)

What a journey this was. These 37 episodes flew by so fast I didn’t even have time to get bored or drag myself to the finish line. I was hooked, on the edge of my seat throughout the entire drama. Very few c-dramas manage to capture my attention like this.

TROPES:

Wuxia
Past influencing the present
Forbidden love
Strong, smart FL
Manipulative, scheming ML
Flirty, clingy ML

So what is it about? The story follows Cai Zhao, a spirited, lively girl who joins a sect to train for a year (reluctantly, she’d much rather stay home, have fun, and run a business). There, she grows close to Chang Ning, a boy whose family fell victim to a massacre. But Chang Ning isn’t quite what he seems…

Cai Zhao, our female lead. Aka my future wife. Or bestie, at the very least. I love this girl so damn much. She is PERFECT. She’s highly skilled with a sword, so she is absolutely NOT a damsel in distress. She’s also NOT a dumbass. In fact, she’s intimidatingly smart. Sharp, clever, and not easily fooled. She knows when to be serious and when to be playful. She’s genuinely such a fun character.

Mu Qing Yan, our male lead (the one pretending to be Chang Ning), is an absolute meal. Yes, I said that with a straight face. He may be a red flag, but I am colorblind. And honestly? Even if I weren’t, I wouldn’t give a shit. YES, he’s toxic and I love him. Not despite it, but because of it. He is MY brand of toxic, okay?!

My husband over here was playing chess while everyone else was busy with checkers. Manipulative. Cunning. Scheming. (And every other adjective you can think of with negative connotations, he is all of them.) But do you know why I love him? Because manipulative little bitches are attractive, of course.

But also because he manipulated everything to be with her. (And yes, also for his revenge, but never mind that.) Time and time again, we see that she matters far more to him than vengeance. He would give it all up if she just promised to stay with him. His chain of schemes left me astonished. Some I could see coming, but others? My jaw was on the floor.

He is SO obsessed with Cai Zhao (he calls her ZhaoZhao HOW CUTE AHHHH). And I mean it. He had me pacing around my room, hiding my face in my hands, blushing and giggling because MY GOD, this man loves her to death. He is completely shameless in his pursuit. No matter how many times she rejects him (and trust me, it was a LOT), he never once thinks, “Maybe I should have some self-respect and give up.”

No. He persists. He flirts constantly, finds every excuse to be near her, to hold her hand, to hug her and just... to BE around her. He thrives in her presence. He even says the only time he feels peace is when he’s with her.

Shameless, relentlessly obsessed men who will manipulate the world itself just to be with their women?

Ahem.

Okay some people didn't like that he also manipulated Cai Zhao herself but LOOK (me getting ready to defend a red flag guy) he did not manipulate her in order to like... harm her. He only did it so she would be with him. And yeah, yeah he threated to kill people if she left him BUT he did it because he LOVED HER. That... makes everything better right?

*hiding in my corner of shame*

I am ENTERTAINED by a man who will rearrange the universe like a deranged chess god just to keep his girl, is that so wrong?

This man was willing to abandon everything for her. And he DID abandon so much. Even she admits that his devotion to her far surpasses hers to him.

And what makes it even better is Cai Zhao herself. They’re from enemy sects. They cannot be together. The world would never accept them. So she tries to take the practical route and stay away from him (and fails, because she does love him, no matter how much she wants to deny it).

But Mu Qing Yan? He doesn’t care. He wants her. So she pushes him away, and he clings tighter. MY FAVORITE DYNAMIC EVER.

And yet, whenever he’s injured or on the brink of death, she forgets everything, everyone, and runs to him. To protect him. To save him. To take care of him.

I love these two so much. They are perfect to me. I love how far he’s willing to go for her, even when it crosses every line, and I love that she’s strong enough to stand her ground anyway.

Aside from the main leads, I also really enjoyed the stories of the previous generations. Cai Zhao’s aunt also fell for a demon sect member—and so did another ancestor. All of their stories ended tragically, which only reinforces why Cai Zhao tries so hard to stay away from Mu Qing Yan.

MY MINOR COMPLAINS:

The editing was a little off-putting, especially in the earlier episodes. It felt choppy at times. I also found out the director worked on The Double, which explains those… interesting camera angles.

I was also confused till the very end about who was who. There were just so many characters, and I could not keep their names straight. Half the time, I had no idea who people were talking about.

I would have preferred a higher budget. The cinematography could have been better. I’m used to high-tier dramas with intricate sets, detailed costumes, and stunning shots. But these are minor complaints, and they didn’t significantly affect my enjoyment.

CONCLUSION:

Overall, this drama made me light up inside. It gave me butterflies. Definitely one of my top dramas of the year.

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A Great Catastrophe: Born of the Insurmountable Obsession w/ Cai Pingshu—the De Facto Protagonist.

"To judge a person, you should not look at how good they are in good times, but how bad they can be in bad times." - Mu Qingyan

I don't think I can start this review any other way than to address how our main leads were thoroughly utilized as mere instruments to honor the legacy of the valiant Cai Pingshu and clean up after the mess of several other crooked-minded predecessors.

What I thought was a simple flashback—a tribute to their predecessors' prowess—turned out to be the main plotline little by little. It was a narrative progression I had never foreseen, and something that caught me completely off-guard. It was an element of the story that utterly bewildered me upon discovery because, as the plot progressed, it gradually took over and soon revolved heavily around them instead of our two main protagonists. This deviation overshadowed, and ultimately stole, the story's focus from our "supposed" main leads, stealthily stripping away their identity as the legitimate main characters of the story. This structural subversion significantly reduced them to being mere icing on the cake—ones who were bestowed with life and characteristics for the sole purpose of unraveling and denouncing the hidden, filthy truth behind the atrocious events of the previous generation, revisiting the connection and friendship they built, honoring the sacrifices they made, and ultimately taking revenge for Cai Pingshu—the de facto protagonist of this show.

Was I disappointed? Damn, Yes! How could I not be when what I thought to be a simple, prolonged flashback appearing every now and then—one that lasted through approximately the first 10 episodes and that I assumed ended for good—suddenly came back several episodes later and became the core narrative the story goes back to every time, and later permanently rotates around? I am still in disbelief! I felt like I was tricked, because little did I know that they simply took a quick break from those flashbacks to "somehow" develop the main leads' story, only to shortly go back to the same track again. This progression was definitely not on my bingo card when I picked this series. At this point, it won't even be an exaggeration to declare that this story is a memoir, a grand tribute to the legacy of the legendary Cai Pingshu.

One distinctive attribute of this story's writing style that utterly mystified me—and totally deserves a resounding round of applause—was their flawless ability to manage the story's flow and transitions without seemingly overshadowing the main protagonists, simply because they are still technically the ones fighting the antagonists. *Eyerolls* It was meticulously executed to the point where it may have gone unnoticed by some, unless you're like me who's extra sensitive to and incredibly invested in the main leads.

To be fair, I was not hypercritical of the flashbacks at first. It only became a concerning factor for me when they finally went overboard by investing more than half of the show's runtime in the previous generation and their unresolved conflicts, instead of focusing on the new generation's growth and journey—as they should, since they are the main leads being promoted.

That said, just because they provided an excessive amount of exposure to the previous generation—more than I think should have been given—doesn't mean the leads lacked sufficient character development. It was never like that. In fact, I can say that the leads' arcs were still compellingly realized. Their story, although highly influenced by the past generation's conflicts, was still properly developed with steady pacing, consistent growth, and a beautiful ending—all of which were nicely dissected and delved into through different means, but most commonly through flashbacks. Countless, endless flashbacks... since that is something they are experts at. Lol

At the end of the day, it's just a mix of accumulated emotions—feeling disappointed, bewildered, and in total disbelief. Imagine, even the time that should've been spent exclusively on the main leads was instead spent on yet another batch of countless flashbacks that heavily included the past generation's shenanigans. *Sighs* Mind you, I was initially curious and interested in the past generation's story too, but as time passed, I gradually got tired of it because they were just being shown way too much.

In addition, despite the good flow of the story, there really were some scenes that made my forehead crease, my eyebrows raise, and my eyes roll at the farcical plot devices. Some of those scenes include:

First, the male lead creating their own demise. Mu Qingyan repeatedly stated his desire to kill Nie Zhe once he captured him. Yet, he allowed himself to be manipulated by Nie Zhe's diversion technique, which used his emotional weakness and caused him to escape—when he could have easily slit his throat, since his sword was literally half an inch away from his neck. I understand that he still wanted to squeeze more information from him, but I never expected him to be a victim of such schemes given how smart he is.

Second, the frustration toward Cai Zhao's parents. They forced her to leave Luoying Valley to train at the Qingque Sect and enter the Pugilistic world, when all she ever wanted was to become a businesswoman—even with the infamous knowledge that their Cai lineage has been known to produce the so-called "Demoness" for the past several generations. Thus, I find it infuriating how they reacted with shock upon learning that Cai Zhao has a mutual romantic relationship with Mu Qingyan, when they should have fully expected it following their family's historical pattern. It's just ridiculous that they have the audacity to react this way when they are equally responsible for this foreseeable outcome. On the positive side, I loved how they finally grew to accept and support Mu Qingyan toward the climax.

Third, Cai Zhao's misplaced trust in her sect mates and master, Qi Yunke. It was grating to watch her stay in denial about her master's involvement and identity as the "Man in Black," even when the evidence was pointing directly at them. More so, it is outrageous how she cried and felt conflicted about what to do with him when he deserved nothing but a painful death for the countless innocent lives he took to achieve his utterly crooked revenge.

Fourth, the leads' pitiful state. It made me scoff out of frustration to see how vulnerable, weak, and miserable both of our leads were during the final fight scene of the climax. This entire situation could have been avoided if the FL hadn't hesitated to suspect or doubt her master in the first place.

Fifth, the excessive amount of blood splattering. The sheer volume of blood in this drama felt completely unnecessary. 😅

After completing this series, one issue that totally stood out to me was the production's greed to introduce most, if not everyone, in Cai Pingshu's circle of friends from her generation. This became a considerable concern because the majority of them don't even participate in the main story's timeline—and even if they did, it was just for an irrelevant, ephemeral scene—yet the show constantly jumped between flashbacks of their younger selves and scenes of their older selves in the present time. This created so much confusion because, aside from the fact that they were never given enough individual screen time to establish themselves, there are just so many of them. So keeping track of who is who became a truly overwhelming struggle for me, especially when they were all clumped together. It reached a point where I just didn't give a fuck at all by the end.

On a brighter note, I want to praise them instead for their seamless buildup and execution of the final enemy's identity reveal. Up until the very end, I didn't dare conclude who the final antagonist was until it was officially revealed—my primary suspect was Li Wenxun. The production did an impeccable job crafting Qi Yunke's identity as a righteous, pure-as-white man, to the point that I didn't dare doubt him even a little. I know that this is an extremely cliché plot device, but I have to say they did a stellar job with it; I never held any suspicions toward him, nor did I ever doubt him.

To finally conclude this review, I just want to say that I still thoroughly enjoyed this story despite all my rants, unfavorable feedback, and complaints. I love how our main leads match and rival each other's wits—he was an excellent manipulator and she was highly perceptive—leaving no room to develop any "I'm oblivious to your schemes" drama because they could see through each other's plans along the way. I also love the ending so much! I appreciate how he stuck true to his word about marrying into her family and settling down in Luoyin Valley. There is simply no better way to end their perilous journey than this.

"Cai Zhao, listen to me. We can never be separated. So what if my meridians are severed? Even if I am reduced to ashes, I will return to find you." - Mu Qingyan

Story - 9.0, The story was actually well-crafted—fast-paced and progressive. If they had at least halved the number of flashbacks, everything would have been perfect. It's just frustrating how I came here for the main leads but ended up drowning in Cai Pingshu and her generation's unresolved drama.

Acting/Cast - 9.5, I was planning to give this a 9.0 rating, but I was reminded of how the actors pulled off the excessive amount of blood splatting and vomiting, and I thought I should give them credit for that. lmao This is my first Zhou Yiran drama, but the one who captured my attention the most remained to be Bao Shang'en—despite this being my third drama of hers. Her styling here was insane! It was simple, plain, and muted, with absolutely nothing fancy about it, yet it looked exquisitely crafted for her, making her naturally beautiful features and body proportions stand out in a graceful, striking manner.

Music - 8.0, The songs beautifully accompanied every scene from the beginning until the end. I don't particularly have a favorite, but I certainly love the ballad track the best.

Rewatch Value - 7.0, Despite it being beautifully and evocatively written, I don't think I can sit through all of the flashbacks ever again. This rating is solely based on the narrative's positive aspects.

Overall - 9.0, Honestly, I think the writer and the entire production team should go back on set to film a prequel to this show focusing on the previous generation, just to fulfill their unconcealable obsession with them. Dang! I still feel a bitter distaste in my mouth whenever I think of how our leads were discreetly stripped of their roles as the main protagonists.

IF you find my review helpful please let me know.

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It tried!

Okay first thing first, the cast is superb. Everyone is a great actor. Big fan of our ML, total eye candy. FL is so refreshing to watch and so pretty.
But, the story is quite predictable and does not pull at you. The love story was the enemies to lover except they were never enemies. It was quite realistic as the FL never truly judges the ML for being a demon sect leader and always circled back to how he is as a person.
The story is predictable somewhat, I for example was able to figure out who the villain was in the first 10 eps even though they showed no signs. I am a romance fan so even tho the story did not had the oomph factor, i still sticked to it to watch the romance bloom. The angst was good.
Again the ML and FL are so eye candy.
Also i got tired of the flash backs. And the continues comparisons pulled with the aunt.
Anyway it won't stick to me. But it was worth a watch.

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Generation to Generation: A Strong Start That Loses Its Edge

The drama begins with a promising and engaging start. The early episodes are gripping, with clever manipulation between characters and a storyline that moves forward smoothly. The tension and emotional stakes make the first half especially enjoyable.

However, the story gradually loses its strength toward the climax. What initially felt like a powerful revenge narrative eventually falls into a familiar and somewhat predictable pattern. The backstory behind the revenge is not entirely convincing, and the resolution feels more cliché than satisfying. For a drama that began with such intensity, the lack of deeper revenge or consequences makes the ending feel slightly underwhelming.

Zhou Yi Ran absolutely carries the show. His character is compelling and intense, especially in the way he loves. He is the kind of man who would give up everything for the person he loves, even to the point of marrying into her family without hesitation. His devotion is striking, and his presence on screen is hard to ignore. Visually, he fits the role perfectly. His looks, expressions, and the costume design all elevate his character. Honestly, his character had the potential for even greater depth, and it would have been interesting to explore his story more deeply.

Bao Shang, on the other hand, brings a bright and cheerful energy to the story. Her character feels warm and sincere, and her love for the people around her is genuine. While her relationship is sweet, the romance could have been portrayed with a bit more emotional depth.


The drama does have its flaws. The editing can feel uneven, and the ending episodes are not entirely convincing. However, the characters and their performances deserve appreciation. While it may not be outstanding, it remains a watchable drama, largely because the lead actors truly do justice to their roles.

Overall, *Generation to Generation* is still worth watching , mainly for its strong start, appealing characters, and Zhou Yi Ran’s performance. It just leaves the feeling that the story could have been much more powerful if it had stayed true to its darker revenge premise.

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"Heaven Never Shuts All Doors"

Generation to Generation is a decent wuxia drama that explores how the older generation's decisions shape the fate of those who come after them. One of the more interesting aspects of the story is how the past constantly influences the present. The conflicts, grudges, and unresolved mistakes of the previous generation create the world that the younger characters must navigate. Watching the younger generation slowly uncover what really happened in the past and deal with the consequences of it is one of the strongest parts of the drama.

However, it became predictable really fast. How many times are we going to get the same cycle of Mu Qingyan scheming, followed by Cai Zhao figuring it out and explaining to the audience what he did?

Overall, having watched many wuxia dramas, it is one of my favorite genres. A lot of the reason it feels predictable is that the plot points and twists have already been done before.

It is still a good watch, but nothing particularly remarkable.

Also, if only Cai Ping Shu had realized to give up all her Qi and get poison beforehand, she wouldn't have died from using disintegration. Like, I'm all for happy endings, but can we not make it a voiceover of O, he got lucky, and he didn't die 'cause "we want a happy ending so he gets to live!"

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Bound by Duty, Driven by Heart

This story follows Cai Zhao, who grows up in a world divided between six “righteous” sects and the Li demon sect they are constantly at odds with. Her aunt is introduced as a legendary fighter who sacrificed her power to stop the demon sect leader rampaging due to a dangerous martial technique. Though she succeeded, she endured years of suffering afterward, slowly dying from the consequences of losing her power. Witnessing this deeply shaped Cai Zhao, who admired her aunt above all else and internalized the belief of fulfilling your duty, that the elders and the “righteous path” must always be followed.

Cai Zhao is later sent to the prestigious Qingque Sect. Its master once loved her aunt and, out of affection, promises to help Cai Zhao grow stronger and fulfill her aunt’s wish that she learn martial arts. Another expectation is placed on her as well, she is meant to marry Zhou Yuqi. Her life is basically entirely planned out for her.

But on her journey to Qingque Sect, Cai Zhao and her family rescue Chang Ning, a young man whose father and clan were just wiped out. He barely survives and is taken in as well. The sect master, who also holds affection for the Chang family, offers him a home. However, Chang Ning quickly proves to be far from trusting. He manipulates people, lies, is revengeful in general and subtly draws Cai Zhao closer to him.

As their relationship develops, another man appears claiming to be the real Chang Ning. It is then revealed that the man we’ve been following is actually Mu Qingyan, the missing heir of the demon sect, presumed dead after Nie Zhe seized power. The Mu clan is known for following their hearts, but that same nature led Mu Qingyan’s kind-hearted father to be betrayed and killed. Mu Qingyan himself grew up neglected and mistreated, then losing the one parent who truly cared for him.

Mu Qingyan is layered and complex, driven by revenge, a desire to reclaim what is rightfully his, and pursue his growing love for Cai Zhao. He manipulates those around him, including her, yet his feelings while intense remain genuine. Despite the rigid divide between “good” and “evil”, and the expectations imposed by their sects, he is determined to fight for what he wants, including Cai Zhao.

Meanwhile, Cai Zhao, more naive and idealistic, seeks the truth about her aunt and the past. She is swept into events, struggling between her feelings for Mu Qingyan (the only man who truly moves her) and the expectations of her elders and society.

At its core, this is a story about two young people challenging the burdens of the previous generation (entrenched beliefs, hidden truths, and unresolved pain). Even though it felt like it dragged at times, I have to admit that once the story came near its end everything began to click and come together as more reveals about the previous generation were made. Mu Qingyan wasn’t the only deep thinker in his family. While his father seemed largely untouched by this mindset, Mu Qingyan arc closely mirrors that of his uncle. That’s what makes the “generation to generation” theme so fitting for this series, both were mistreated as children, lost a parent/guardian they deeply cared about, faced constant rejection, and grew to be self-reliant, cunning and paranoid. They both tried to reclaim what was theirs from birthright, manipulating those around them without regard for the consequences, exerting revenge, even though they both had genuine feelings for their fated ones. It’s a really strong and tragic parallel.

The question is, can this new generation break the cycle and choose differently?

The acting, especially from Zhou Yiran, is excellent, subtle and nuanced. While many supporting characters fall into typical superficial stereotypes, the leads basically carry the series as the pacing feels dragged out.

I also want to give a shout-out to whoever handled Zhou Yiran’s styling, because he was basically in a new outfit every episode after the first few. His wigs and hairstyles were very well done, especially when you compare it to some of the questionable looks male leads get in other dramas. That’s one thing you can’t take away from this series. Also, even though the female lead had a more limited wardrobe as a disciple, she was always put together nicely. On top of that, the sets were stunning and the cinematography was consistently on point.

To conclude, I really appreciated the themes, the blurred line between good and evil, societal expectations, obedience to elders, and the struggle to follow one’s heart. The ideas are compelling, even if the execution could have been much better.

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Complicated but uncompelling

I don't know why I finished watching the show, to be honest. It did so little for me that I am extremely compelled to write this review but unsure where to start.

I guess I'll start with the story. The story centers around how the daughter of a prominent Six Sects family, Cai Zhao, partners with the Demon Sect's leader, Mu Qingyan, to unearth the secrets of her parents' generation and bring peace to the Jianghu. In the process, they lie, scheme against each other, and conveniently fall in love. While there is nothing inherently wrong with this setup, it demands some intricate work on characterization to be compelling.

Unfortunately for "Generation to Generation", the characterization slipped on a banana peel and fell flat on its face. The female lead, Cai Zhao, is an extremely flat character. She's an obvious attempt to support China's feminist wave in entertainment and thus has all the qualities of a heroine: righteous, crafty, and admired among her peers. However, her character experiences no real development, depends heavily on plot armor, and is a pathetic imitation of her dead aunt (who everyone blindly idolizes and centers their lives around despite her death THIRTEEN years ago). As an example, Cai Zhao justifies her decision to confront the villain at the end using her aunt's heroism-driven morals despite lacking martial arts capabilities; the show somehow saves her and reframes stupidity as nobility. The male lead, Mu Qingyan, is similarly uncompelling. While he's a genuinely brilliant strategist, he also experiences very little development (the main change is his increasing, unhealthy obsession with our female lead). He's lived a pitiful life, and spends a lot of the time he has with the female lead preaching, faking illness, or treating her like a little kid.

To hide the characterization blemishes, the show emphasizes the relationship between the leads. However, it is full of unnecessary ups-and-downs. The leads don't definitively get together until they're married on the last episode, and before that there is excessive distrust, heartbreak, and naivety. Neither character grows from these dramatic episodes; they never truly communicate and repeat their mistakes. It is a romance that may be compelling for a thirteen year old girl reading their first forbidden romance but very few others.

Beyond the main romantic relationship, every other important connection stems back to the female lead's dead aunt, Cai Pingshu. While Cai Pingshu is not a bad character, the fact that either idolizing her or obsessing over her undergirds every character's intentions and actions undermines the story's emotional current. It's difficult to truly feel moved by the tragedies a bunch of obsessive and otherwise empty characters face.

Despite its character flaws, "Generation to Generation" still had potential to be a watchable drama. Plenty of C-dramas hide behind beautiful editing and decent acting when they lack reasonable plots and still manage to be successful. Regrettably, "Generation to Generation" faces damning flaws in its execution, too.

As other viewers have mentioned, the editing is quite choppy and the script is unnatural. The script has characters always trying to preach at or prove themselves to the audience; they give long, unnecessary monologues in simple or light-hearted moments. The writing is humorless. There is an aggressive, tacky element to the romantic scenes, and simple/pure scenes lack all subtlety. The CGI is the nail in the coffin; I distinctly recall a baby dragon looking like the brainchild of Sora AI and "Merge Dragons". Overall, the story's presentation comes off as heavy-handed and inorganic.

I also found the acting to be surprisingly mediocre. I think the one good performance is from Li Yuan as Yin Su Lian, who manages to portray her character with cold restraint until the eruption of anger and protectiveness at the end. Bao Shang'en is quite good at delivering lines of expressively, but her actual performance suffers from stiffness in less dramatic scenes. Zhou Yiran is a brilliant actor, but his performance misses the fact that Mu Qingyan is on the brink of death. His portrayal creates the illusion that Mu Qingyan is healthy to the end (despite the multiple times he was ill in bed), which limits the intrigue of Mu Qingyan and softens the impact of his decline on both the story and the viewer.

While the trailer of the drama was quite good in my opinion, it's probably wiser to find something else to watch if you have the time to spare. As someone who waited for the "climax" and watched it through to the end, I doubt you'll regret not picking this up or dropping it in the middle.

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Just not top-shelf goods.

Ladies and gentlemen, let me be frank.

It's mid.

God knows it tried. And god knows I tried. The vibe is pretty good. Not as good as My Journey to You, but better than (pick literally any Aaron Deng drama).

But for the god-tier levels of complexity this plot has, there should be moar vibe. It starts off engaging, and then by the middle I feel like I'm getting flashbacks to Mr. Kenning's 8th grade world history class, like goddddd staring at the ceiling and waiting for the bell to ring listening to him drone on and on about Beowulf or Medieval banking or some sh*t.

Then you get a snow sequence for maybe 2 episodes, where ML gets brutally frame mogged by this guy dressed all in white who looks like Ling He in SoKP but with white hair, and a dragon egg appears. And it's like YAS finally something fun to watch. But then the dragon egg hatches, and out pops this absolute facepalm cgi dragon whelp with maxed out cringe stats that looks like it was created by the ccp entertainment division to be the cartoon mascot for the next CCTV spring festival gala. Fortunately this little cringelet gets ditched with the hot white-haired babysitter, and neither of them are ever seen again (goodbye sexy white haired snow hottie! *sobs in justwhy*). The whole thing was so random. But it's only a brief vacation, and then it's right back to plotslogging.

This is the kind of drama you normally would give to Kai Soso because of his Herculean ability to pull a heaping cart of bullsh*t across the finish line all by himself. The ML we do get is good, but he's fighting against a weak script and an existentially confused director and he just doesn't quite have the visuals or the charisma to contend with that level of adversity. ML is sexy as hell and way good at fight scenes, and this drama did not bring out his best, and it's NOT his fault.

And all the main actors' performances are occasionally marred by the bgm being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Not to a criminal degree, but all I'm sayin is someone in the sound dept needed to be fired. They got this bigass bird right, I mean a HUGE bird, and when he flaps his wings in the sky, it sounds like a large silk fan. Bi@tch, that bird is enormous, the sound effects when his wings flap should be like a big deep LoTR booming noise. Or someone giving a straight and subtle performance, and here comes the whimsical music like wot.

Now I know I just bashed the drama pretty hard, but despite that I still say: "Give it a try."

That's because it will vibe with some of you. Kind of like how Lost You Forever or A Journey To Love really did it for some people. and for others it totally did not. By no means is the show bad, in an overall sense. So it can't hurt to try it out and see if it grabs your attention or puts you to sleep.

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No Build-Up Generation

Had lots of hope for this one because I really liked the edits for this drama even before it was released. But as they say, don’t judge a book by its cover. Anyways, let’s dive in!

✨️ Things that worked well for me:
• The chemistry between the leads
• Some of the romance scenes (at least the ones that weren’t questionable, like the ML forcing himself onto the FL)
• The ML being an interesting, sexy, gray flag character, easily the most compelling part of the show if you ask me
• Zhou Yiran’s performance as the ML, he basically carried the whole drama on his back
• The side characters were decent. Yu Jia Cheng as Song Yuzhi was lovely to watch (I have a weakness for the quiet, scholarly types), and honourable mention to Li Yun Rui as Mu Zheng Yang, whose visuals were absolutely stunning. I genuinely couldn’t take my eyes off him whenever he was on screen 🤭
• The OSTs were beautiful, with several tracks I’d still listen to after finishing the show
• The cinematography was also stunning, with some genuinely gorgeous scenes throughout

✖️ What did not work for me:
Characters:
• The FL felt weak, even though she is literally the protagonist of the show
• The actress playing the FL had almost no range in facial expressions, a different actress might have elevated the role
• The villain had almost no proper build-up and ended up feeling underdeveloped and his death felt unrealistic
Story:
• The concept sounded interesting on paper,  learning from the previous generation, but it didn’t work because their struggles didn’t really mirror the protagonists’ issues in my opinion
• There was almost no real character development, aside from the ML becoming slightly more tame???
• The dialogue was mostly dull and didn’t add much depth to either the characters or the story
• The most pivotal moments, like the reveals, had no proper build-up, which is why the whole series felt flat and monotonous throughout, even major reveals couldn’t lift it out of its constant boredom
• The ending was sloppy and relied on shock value with the ML’s "death" which I doubt anyone actually believed
• The villain killing himself also came out of nowhere, again with no proper build-up
• The last two episodes had people dying left and right, but it had no emotional impact because there was barely any connection to those characters. Even the main cast’s deaths didn’t move me because the groundwork simply wasn’t there

📍Final thoughts:
In the end, Zhou Yiran’s acting was the main reason I kept watching. Like someone else said, he felt completely overpowered for this show and had to carry it on his back.

I know I might not be the right person to say this because I’m such a sucker for Li Yun Rui, so naturally his scenes were another highlight for me, but even a visually beautiful drama cannot carry a weak story ☝🏻🧐

If I had to give this drama a different name, I’d probably call it "No Build-Up Generation" or something like that because there was almost no build-up for anything really 😅

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Great start but then....sigh

This started off so great, the chemistry between the leads, trying to figure out who was behind what, only for it to go downhill.

Major spoilers below:

The main problem this show has is that the story it's trying to tell is so greatly intertwined with a character that's already dead and not the main lead that it almost makes it unenjoyable. Every single second, everyone is talking about or in with or in hate with Pingshu. I get she was great, but my god, why is it every episode? Then we have Qi Yun Ke's insane obsession. He said he did everything to get revenge for Pingshu, but that's actually not the full truth. Is part of it to avenge her? Sure, but not fully. He's just upset she's dead and upset that not once in her life did she love him. Everything he's ever done was for himself and his own greed. And then his other sect brother had the audacity to lecture Pingshu's brother about getting revenge for her, as if he and Qi Yun Ke knew her better than he did. Honestly, I feel like the plot of this show is the type of plot that only works well in a novel setting.

I hope to see Bao Shang En and Zhou Yi Ran partnered up again because the chemistry was really good. Also, Li Yun Rui and Wan Peng.

So after reading all that, you are probably wondering if you should watch it or not, right? Honestly, I don't know.

There were a lot of really good parts and a lot of angst between the leads that I really enjoyed. Loved the scene where the female lead fights everyone to save the male lead. However, the issues I mentioned before...bugged me a lot. So honestly, it's up to you. I think I'd still choose to watch this if I could go back in time, but more so as a filler background show once we get past ep 30.

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Zhou Yiran’s rendition of Mu Qingyan is Why You Watch

Quick take

If you’re here for the romance, watch it for the romance — specifically if you like an obsessed, stalker-ish ML with a breathtaking on-screen presence who takes forever to grow. I personally started Generation to Generation because everyone was talking about that chair kiss, stayed for for Zhou Yiran’s rendition of Mu Qingyan, and stuck around because the drama is actually not as bad as people say it is.

First impression

The sets and costumes are very pretty and create an interesting atmosphere, but the production feels uneven. It doesn’t read as a high-budget drama overall, and my suspicion is that a lot of the money went to pay Zhou Yiran’s salary (and maybe Li Yunrui’s gorgeous guest role). The post-production definitely suffered a lot.

Things I liked

- Zhou Yiran’s Mu Qingyan: I’ll give him his own paragraph below, but he’s the main reason I stayed.

- Music and action scenes composition: some action scenes are amazing — I re-watched a few just for the way they’re scored and framed. There are other really good emotional scenes that are done very well. The ending butterfly scene in episode 18 is a standout: great soundtrack, set design, and camera work.

- Supporting cast and backstories: there are a lot of supporting characters, and many of their backstories are interesting (my favorite is the Mu Zhengyang and Cai Pingshu relationship). They add flavor, loyalty, and fun to the broader story.

Things that didn’t work

- Choppy camera work and inconsistent effects: some scenes have gorgeous slow motion and thoughtful framing; others look cheap (like speed changes done manually because the crew didn’t have the same professional camera they did the day before or they had an intern do the post on select days). It often feels like different teams handled different scenes.

- Color and composition problems: costumes, sets, and backgrounds blend together too much. Characters often disappear into similarly toned backdrops. For example, earth-toned clothes against an earth-toned mountain, which makes it hard to tell who or what you’re looking at without concentrating. The color grading feels inconsistent, and that distracts from otherwise pretty visuals.

Main characters

Mu Qingyan
Zhou Yiran’s rendition of Mu Qingyan is why I loved this one a lot. He’s a deliciously messy mix of a red flag and an occasional green flag, obsessive, manipulative, and needy, but also heartbreakingly loyal. He does awful things, and yet his sad backstory makes you root for him in spite of it. You might blame him for the things he does and for the fatc that he doesn’t grow up for the majority of the show but considering the first five years of his life, I’d say, it’s pretty normal. Zhou Yiran’s performance makes the character’s extremes compelling. The camera totally loves him. His close-ups are consistently gorgeous — if nothing else, it’s worth watching for the eye candy. He does grow toward the end of the show. Again, this is my first time seeing this actor in anyone at all, so I’ll check out his other work.

Cai Zhao
Cai Zhao is headstrong, stubborn, and mostly consistent. She’s decisive about a lot, except for accepting her feelings for Mu Qingyan — which drags on way too long. Her acting is solid, especially in episode 36, but the character itself isn’t particularly original; she’s a pretty classic “strong independent heroine” archetype. That said, she’s effective and sympathetic. And she as a character and her love story with Mu Qingyan are believable.

Supporting characters
There are a lot of sects and names thrown at you early, which makes it hard to track everyone at first. Still, many supporting roles are interesting and add texture. I just wish some of them had been integrated into the story more cleanly. Like we had one character for a first 6 episodes and then they are gone. But this is a writing problem.

Romance and pacing
Romance is mostly why I watched this drama. There’s a lot of push-and-pull between the leads that keeps you watching. The chair kiss is chef’s kiss, literally and figuratively. That said, don’t expect a lot of kissing. There’s more at the end and I wouldn’t say we’re getting the level of When Destiny Brings the Demon, but it’s also not the Long Ballad kiddie stuff. There are plenty of OTT high stakes moments that involve the conflict between the demon clan and the Six Sects, but here they largely work and add to the vibe. There are not too many draggy scenes. I only skipped a few times.

My main complaint in the romance department is Cai Zhao’s drawn-out denial. It’s obvious she likes Mu Qingyan almost immediately, and the prolonged inner conflict gets old. When she finally owns her feelings, the payoff is dramatic and very satisfying. I wish we'd had them together, I mean truly together a little longer.

Missed opportunities
The show wastes some chances to build stronger conflict and tension. For example, Mu Qingyan’s reintroduction after disappearing from the sect could have been handled in a way that created more lasting tension between the leads. Instead of just introducing him, having some sort of interesting situational reveal would be more impactful. There are other moments like that, but I won’t name them all. I think there is only that much you can do when you are rewriting a novel into a script.

Final verdict
This drama isn’t as bad as some people make it out to be. Yes, post-production feels like it’s stuck in 2020. There are missed opportunities to raise tension and tighten the script. The last two episodes slow down, and the way Mu Qingyan’s survival is explained feels rushed and offhand. It’s a bit anticlimactic and feels strange after all that action-packed run we’ve had with these characters.

Still, most characters get their happy ending, and I found the romance genuinely satisfying. At least for me. I needed something a little trashy with crazy ML, and that hit the spot, haha. I ended up enjoying the drama more than I expected. If you go in knowing not to expect top-tier cinematography and CGI, there’s a lot here to like — strong romance, standout performances (especially Zhou Yiran), and some genuinely beautiful scenes. The plot itself isn’t bad at all. There’s a central mystery that keeps things going. The conflict between the Six Sects and the Demon Clan could have been explored better, but again, there’s only so much you can do with the source material.

I would say give it a try before reading all the negative reviews. I saw dramas with much higher ratings that I dropped because they didn’t hold my attention. Generation to Generation is definitely not for everyone, but some will love it.

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He's problematic (Unhinged~). She knows it. I know it. Still ATE IT UP!

• This show was a really good time for me, it messed up multiple times however the good scenes had me obsessed!

• MU QINGYAN (ML)
I love my characters a lil' crazy and Mu Qingyan was an embodiment of that and also I was really into his Green tea behaviour and the way he was acting all pitiful, he was so good at it, that at moments I couldn't tell where his (Mu Qingyan's) acting began and where his actual feelings lay.
He was extreme, making decisions for her, manipulating her and everyone around him for his benefit, single mindedly focused on his revenge but all that was understandable due to him being a demonic art practitioner and backstory (I..might be excusing him 😅)
He does seem too emotionless, lil' wooden dare I say only exhibiting extreme emotions like jealousy, hate & anger strongly.. I'd like to believe that it was a character setting rather than a performance flaw.

• CAI ZHAO (FL)
Now.. another thing that I loved about this was CAI ZHAO, Our FL. It might be because I came from Youthful Glory, I found the FL to be more assertive, strong and intelligent.
I loved how her longing and feelings for him were really palpable instead of being subtle and understated.
Her subsequent actions of supporting him despite her principles was really charming.
She was really clear about her feelings towards Qingyan and everybody else...I loved how she clearly rejected the SML, and loved his confession too - it was soo respectful towards her, and him being her friend later on...I dare say, this is the few times where I'm not tormented by the SML, I genuinely liked his arc of falling in love with her despite it being unrequited.

• MQY pretending to be a dodder flower clinging to her for support was so peak 😂 and loved how she believed in him a lot, saved him many times and also look at this quote🫴 -!!
✨"I'll use every possible way to save you. If I cannot save you, I will help you fulfill your wishes, If you want Revenge, I'll help you take revenge."✨

• Supporting Cast were really cool too, I love a reformed villain tho in this case she was mostly a cannon fodder, also love women supporting each other!! I really liked how many female characters not just the FL were strong, or overcame their initial challenges to become a better version, saved the world and all, Su was 'always courting death' which was veryyy naive(I'm being polite here) and acted impulsively however she reformed without losing her initial naivety- became more stable and I really liked it.

• Pacing - really awful. Tho I was hooked by the initial chapters but then the journey till chapter 10 was perilous at best, the pacing was off, where the story is going wasn't making any sense, evrything felt quite all over the place.
I was considering dropping the show had it not been for the fact that I was too curious about Cai Zhao's aunt and also MLs dad was played by Li Yunrui (Blossom).
It didn't help that the editing was also not fun.

• The Generation to Generation thing- I love a plot that involves multiple stories, timelines so it didn't feel messy or too much for me at all. The past of the previous generation aka the parents, aunts/ uncles and their friends was deeply entertaining!

• PLOT
Uh..now the entirety of it was . The antagonist's identity left no mystery, and the motives were quite shallow too...and the ending on how MQY got well is also really glossed over.
This show definitely had the potential to be far more compelling with a stronger antagonist, reasonable motivations, and more mystery.

VISUALS
Action sequences were absolutely gorgeous, the CGIs, special effects were so breathtaking.

🫴✨ Overall ✨
This drama messes up with skewed pacing, bad editing and weak antagonists, with questionable plot choices.
But despite it all, it just hits the right spot for me.
I love My Qingyan's manipulation, acting as a dodder flower, the extremity of his character and Cai Zhao's clarity in feelings towards Qingyan, towards SML and her giving up everything for him- supporting him with his revenge ( aka his sole goal in life, his reason for trying to survive so hard)

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