Generation to Generation

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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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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Giving Old Wuxia Vibes

It’s a solid watch that dives into how the messy choices and old grudges of the previous generation basically set the stage for all the drama the younger characters have to clean up. Honestly, watching Mu Qingyan and Cai Zhao piece together the truth behind all that history and deal with the fallout was easily the highlight of the show. Visually, the production is just gorgeous—the costumes and cinematography are all beautiful.This was my first drama that I stuck with all the way to the end with Zhou Yiran in which he slayed.

The acting was pretty good across the board, even if the plot started feeling a bit repetitive after a while. It fell into a bit of a cycle where Mu Qingyan would pull some scheme, and then Cai Zhao would just figure it out and explain the whole thing. Their dynamic was interesting, though the pacing at the start was so fast it was hard to buy into his instant attachment to her. I actually respected Cai Zhao at first for not wanting to ditch her family and sect for a guy and that it’s great to see a female lead with her own life but as the story went on and showed how hypocritical and selfish the "Six Righteous Sects" actually were, her stance felt a bit contradictory. It’s hard to claim you just want a "peaceful life" when you're turning a blind eye to all that injustice around you.

Mu Qingyan was a huge reason the drama worked for me. He was cunning, manipulative, and didn't shy away from being ruthless to get what he wanted. So many male leads these days turn into total softies halfway through, so I loved that he kept his edge, even if I wish he had a bit more of a personal mission to give his character more weight. The main villain was pretty easy to spot from day one, and his motives were a bit of a letdown, plus the female lead’s acting got a little frustrating since her expressions felt a bit flat even during the big moments. Still, despite the predictable turns and some side characters who were mostly just there to look good, it’s a stylish and atmospheric tribute to the genre.

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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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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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Bad writing, excellent lead characters

For a drama that relied heavily on romance, I was expecting a better ending and at least a prologue about their married life together, but I guess I'll just be content with the fact that they ended up happy and together. The writing was poor, which is a shame because it had so much potential. The stories of those who came before them, especially her aunt and his uncle, were interesting, but the writers had no idea what to do with them. The editing at the beginning of the drama would sometimes give me a headache because it would just cut abruptly from one scene to another and make you wonder what the hell was happening. All the characters, with the exception of the leads, were plain stupid. You just had to ignore it and believe that a teenage girl was doing everything alone and outsmarting everyone while the elders just watched. But oh boy, it was worth it. Zhaozhao and Mu Qingyan's characters and love story were everything, and I would've watched more episodes of the writers not having a slight idea of what they were doing just because of them. To simplify it: if you're looking for good writing, this drama might not be for you, but if you're capable of putting everything aside for an excellent couple, go ahead.

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The characters deserved a plot more consistent but it's still enjoyable

I had a good time watching this drama even I have mixed feelings.

Firstly the costumes and the cinematography (love how they highlighted the colour pink it’s so rare in c-drama land) were exquisite. It was respectfully Zhou Yiran’s best look 🤌🏾. The acting was cool too, I think everyone did their part specially the main leads.

The relationship between Mu Qingyan and Cai Zhao was interesting. Since the story was too fast paced in the beginning we failed to understand why he was so attached to her in this little spam of time but I liked how their relationship developed afterward.
However it was a little one sided at some point. I agreed with Cai Zhao for the matter of abandoning her family and sect at first because yes we don't want to see women abandoning their all life for the sake of man.
But the more we saw the different members of the Six Righteous Sects, the more we came across their hypocrisy and selfishness. So you can’t just seek a little peaceful and happy life when the people around you are clearly off. Does that not make you an hypocrite as well ? What is freedom and happiness when you turn blind toward injustice ? I wish the plot confronted this contradiction more deeply : not following MQY blindly but yes reflecting about the world around her.

My Qingyan is a great part of why this drama was good to me. He was cunning, manipulative, did not fret about using people to get what he wanted, ruthless when it was necessary. And I liked that about him : Many ML character’s are presented this way these days but turn into softies in the middle which can be disappointing sometimes.
I wished they also gave him a true purpose for his life, to make his relationship with Zhao’s more healthy though. I did not want him to be stripped oh his personality just a little change to make his character more deeper.

The main vilain is predictable, I had my doubts from the start so it wasn’t a surprise. I was disappointed for the reasons he did that though. Maybe if they revealed it sooner and added more depth to him I could’ve understood him to some extent but for what it worth no. The side characters are good, I quite liked a few of them, some are annoying but their role makes sense.

For the parts that makes the drama very mixed for me :
First, the editing is truly horrible in the 5 first episodes, it gets little bit better after but sometimes it’s getting odd again. And it’s a big problem because it prevent the audience to understand the plot. They introduced way too more characters in a little spam of time, and it’s too fast-paced to understand the story properly. I persevered and had a good time but not everyone has the patience clearly.

I feel the characters and the world building deserved more. Honestly with more consistency, a better beginning and editing, a proper presentation of the old generation it could’ve been lit.

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Fun watch but not as well-rounded as I would've liked

This review is a bit more critical of the c-drama's character-choices and plot mostly, so beware.

I thoroughly enjoyed some parts of the series and liked a few characters (i.e., Lingbo, Lingbo's mother, Yuzhi- although his character was slightly bland-, and Cai Zhao's initial character)

Generation to Generation started off as a very promising c-drama: a light-hearted, ambitious girl comes across a mysterious angsty boy who has just lost his father and they team up to defeat the antagonists. I loved their dynamic and characterisation until about the 12th episode mark, where it was revealed Chang Ning was Mu Qingyan. After this transition, the male lead lost much of what made him unique, and he turned into another one of those typical, powerful, possessive Wuxia male leads. His loss and revenge arc was unfortunately thrown out in favour of the romance story, which also seemed promising as first, but then just deteriorated later on. I loved their initial interactions, the way that Mu Qingyan was closed off at first, and Cai Zhao kept penetrating his social barrier, kept forcing him to confront the world. I especially loved the scene in the garden, where she tells himthat she will protect him- it really felt like there was true, human emotion there.

But then... of course, after Chang Ning --> Mu Qingyan, both the main characters were constantly restricted by each other. We never got to see Cai Zhao become the amazing leader she could've been because of Mu Qingyan's forcing her to stay with him and we never got to see Mu Qingyan conquer his own demons because he was constantly obsessed with Cai Zhao. We only saw this kind of toxic back and forth, cat and mouse game.

In regards to the plot, the first twenty or so episodes solely dealt with the Jianghu side of things- the Ziwei method, the man in black, the jade sunflower, etc. I had no problem with this plot, it was pretty well done, but then it just halted after Cai Zhao and Mu Qingyan's romance took the spotlight. This felt very weird and I feel that the writers should have just continued the way they were going instead of trying to exaggerate their love story. They should've kept the love-story in the background. By the way, it wasn't even better than what the original plot was doing: it was literally just Cai Zhao trying to run away from Mu Qingyan and the latter always pulling her back. This would've been an okay, albeit toxic and dark, shift, but there was no self-awareness of the fact that Mu Qingyan was literally evil for not leaving Cai Zhao when she was forced to choose between him and her sect, family, and friends. To me, it just proved that he didn't love her enough to genuinely think about her feelings and her life, and more-so wanted to possess her like an object. The male lead was idealised for this behaviour and we were being conditioned into accepting that he truly loves her, which is the BIGGEST issue with this. I'm all for dramas that deal with toxic relationships, broken people, imperfect leads, etc, only not when said toxic relationships and behaviour is idealised and looked upon as perfection. Characters are supposed to be messy, yes, they're supposed to be flawed, but the way Mu Qingyan was flawed was not at all helping his character or raising awareness.

The rest of the characters were mostly fine, I just would've liked to see more development- Lingbo goes through a pretty solid development arc, she became exactly what I envisioned her character to be in the end. Yuzhi was also a good character (more tolerable than the male lead), but I wish the writers could've made his character face more internal conflict and tension than just admitting his feelings for Cai Zhao. Like perhaps there could've been some grey area for him to deal with in regards to his brother and the heir of his sect.

I also wanted to discuss the camera-work and editing real quick. The way scenes were shot, cut, edited, the way that the characters and their emotions were displayed through camerawork could've been better, and the reason why I'm mentioning this is because I feel that it had an important role in allowing the audience to connect with the characters. There were some scenes where I wished the camera-angle, or the opening shot, or the focus on certain aspects of the set, would've been a little different, just so I could see the actors' emotions, and consequently, feel what they were feeling. But it was just slightly lack-lustre and did affect the overall watching-experience.

In terms of re-watch value, I would stick to a one-time watch only. Perhaps, one day, I may go back and rewatch only the first ten or so episodes and pretend that Cai Zhao and Mu Qingyan's story ended differently to how it did, but not anytime soon.

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Interesting and yirannn

I really enjoyed Generation to Generation (2026). The storyline is a bit complicated at first, but once you get into it, the details actually help you understand everything better. It’s the kind of drama where you need to pay attention, but it’s worth it.
The character development is really fun to watch — you can see how each character grows and changes over time, which makes it more engaging.
Also, the sword fighting scenes are super entertaining. They’re well done and add a lot of excitement to the drama.
Overall, definitely worth watching if you like something a bit deeper with good action.

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Sins of one generation, paid off by the next

This drama was beautifully written and excellently directed. All the characters were well fleshed out, their motivations clear, their actions aligned with them and their emotions real.

The FL was strong, mature, brave. She had her own set of morals and principles and she stood by them for better and worse. The ML was complex, his backstory setting the stage for a perfect grey character and we explored both sides of it exceedingly well. While the FL was never evil, we see her extreme tendencies too. In another life, with another upbringing, she would have made a fantastic grey character.

The ultimate mystery, the final plot twist, was heartbreaking but well written. It was an almost reversal of all that we knew, and it was executed well. It was an entertaining balance of comedy, romance, fantasy, action, emotions, plot and beauty.

I loveddddd Zhou Yiran in this, he did so well <3 Bao Shang'en has played a character like this before so that wasn't new to me but it was fun to watch.

I especially enjoyed the older generation, Cai Pingshu's moments. I love that actress so her scenes were a delight. The Cai women, demoness as the story asks us to call them, certainly lived an amazing and legendary life. One day, Cai Zhao might be known as a demoness too, who knows. I thinks he would like that hehe

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First few episodes got me confused but I didn't give up because of rang rang, After 10 episode got me hooked some episodes are bit predictable but I loved watching rangrang in costume dramas, FL done her job perfectly, I felt bit sad for yuchi only he don't have partner in final episodes, I felt too much cast but later I understand everyone has their roles at some point, i finished this successfully.
In final episodes I got angry because they have all type of poison antitode but don't have any for Rangrang, his life is hanging but he didn't have wish to live from starting he ready to die , marriage in final episodes doesn't seems happy and i skipped. Some of them dropped this series in few episodes but I kept watch' for Rangrang I liked him in costume drama he is so cute and handsome, stop seeing logic , holes and enjoy the series..

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