Generation to Generation

Boring

Generation to Generation” could have had a better ending. The start of the drama was good, but it progressed very slowly. There were too many unnecessary scenes, which created boredom. I was waiting to see more of their chemistry, but he always focused on proving himself right. Two or three kissing scenes gave a spark and made me think that the story would improve.
However, in order to find the Black Mask man, the story included many trivial scenes. I don’t know why I watched this drama completely—maybe it was because of the main leads’ chemistry and the male lead’s team. I expected too much from the 37th episode, but it ended in a big disappointment.

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Sect Happens

Generation to Generation throws us straight into the deep end of the martial world. Cai Zhao, a spirited girl destined to become a so called witch, is forced to enter the prestigious Qingque Sect. There she meets Chang Ning, a sickly and aloof young man who survived the massacre of his family and carries an air of mystery that practically screams “there’s more to this guy.” As Cai Zhao navigates the rigid hierarchy of the sect and the politics between righteous and demonic factions, the two grow closer while uncovering secrets buried across generations. The deeper they dig, the clearer it becomes that Chang Ning’s true identity might change everything.

From the very first episode, this drama wastes absolutely no time. Conflict, lore, characters, sect politics, generational grudges, everything is thrown into the pot and stirred like a hot pot on maximum heat. It honestly felt like I had to pause and rewind several times just to remember who was who. The first episode flew by at lightning speed, but despite the chaos, one thing immediately stood out to me. Cai Zhao. She is easily one of the most charming female leads I’ve seen in a while. She is skilled in martial arts yet never flaunts it, laidback yet observant, cute yet charismatic. Bao Shang En really sold this duality. Visually she looks soft and girly, but the way she carries herself gives Cai Zhao a confident, grounded charm. Her family dynamic also deserves a shoutout. The Cai family is warm, righteous, and genuinely supportive of each other. In a genre where families are often plotting against each other like it’s Game of Thrones: Wuxia Edition, their sincerity felt refreshing.

Then we have Chang Ning, played by Zhou Yi Ran, who appears sickly, mysterious, and emotionally guarded. The actor is very much in his element here. Zhou Yi Ran has always been good at portraying characters with hidden depths, and Chang Ning fits that perfectly. His deep voice and aloof demeanor really elevate the character, though I must confess I absolutely hated his sickly hairstyle. The dry, messy hair covering his face annoyed me more than it should have.

Aside from our leads, the ensemble cast is huge. And when I say huge, I mean huge. We meet Qi Yun Ke, the Lord of Qingque Sect, who initially presents himself as righteous but gives off suspicious vibes from the start. His wife Yin Su Lian clearly wears the pants in the household, which was a surprise. Their daughter Qi Ling Bo, unfortunately, turns out to be a spoiled brat who seems to enjoy bullying others. Her constant high pitched “Yu Zhi gege” nearly drove me up the wall. Song Yu Zhi, the third disciple and Qi Ling Bo’s fiancé, is a quieter presence but surprisingly charming. He is the kind of calm, reliable guy you would want by your side during a storm. Meanwhile Dai Feng Chi, the second disciple, mostly acts as Qi Ling Bo’s silent bodyguard but quietly leaves the impression that he might have more depth later. Fan Xiang Jia, played by Bian Tian Yang, appears briefly with his casual personality but remains something of a mystery.

While the characters are interesting, the production side unfortunately starts showing cracks early on. The CGI and 3D rendering in the early episodes are not exactly convincing. The bridge scene where Cai Zhao stands looks so thin it feels like it was designed by someone who has never seen gravity before. Scene transitions are also rough. There are obvious cuts where it feels like entire scenes were removed, leaving the story jumping awkwardly from one moment to another.

Episode two doubles down on the information overload. Dialogue heavy exposition pours in nonstop, and again I found myself pausing just to keep up. The story itself is interesting though. Cai Zhao quickly grows suspicious of Chang Ning and calls him out when she notices him subtly stirring conflict between her and Qi Ling Bo. I appreciated that Cai Zhao isn’t written as a naive heroine. Beneath her soft appearance is a sharp and perceptive mind. Unfortunately, the editing once again sabotages the flow. One moment Chang Ning is bedridden, the next he is suddenly in a healing pool dramatically slipping into the water. The camera then gives us a full visual glamour shot of him rising from the water like a Kpop ending fairy. I cringed so hard. Even worse, the scene immediately cuts away without showing Cai Zhao’s reaction.

As the story continues, the drama becomes both more engaging and more chaotic. The plot keeps introducing new subplots and characters at an almost alarming rate. Face swapping plots appear, new factions enter the stage, hidden identities unravel, and by episode six we finally learn Chang Ning’s true identity as Mu Qing Yan, the son of the Demon Sect’s leader. I actually appreciated this reveal happening relatively early. It prevents the usual endless misunderstanding arc.

Mu Qing Yan’s relationship with Cai Zhao is… exhausting. At first it carries the classic star crossed lovers vibe. Think Romeo and Juliet but with more swords and sect politics. Their clans have centuries of hostility between them, yet they are clearly drawn to each other. The problem is that their relationship quickly becomes a rollercoaster of manipulation, guilt, emotional push and pull, and questionable decision making. Mu Qing Yan is the kind of character who would burn the world for the woman he loves. Usually that trope can be very appealing. Here though, it often crosses into red flag territory. He manipulates situations, fakes illness, and even gambles with Cai Zhao’s feelings to achieve his goals. Meanwhile Cai Zhao, despite being strong and intelligent, sometimes feels frustratingly indecisive. She pushes him away one moment and runs back to him the next. Watching them together sometimes felt less like romance and more like emotional cardio.

Still, I cannot deny that the two leads look fantastic together. Both Bao Shang En and Zhou Yi Ran are visually stunning and move gracefully in their action scenes. One highlight for me was Cai Zhao’s rescue of Song Yu Zhi. Her movements were swift and charismatic, though I do wish the camera had focused more on her martial choreography.

The drama continues piling on twists. Generational grudges, hidden identities, family secrets, conspiracies inside Qingque Sect. By episode fifteen the pacing finally slows down slightly, allowing subplots to breathe. That breathing room actually helps the story feel more engaging.

However, the editing issues never fully disappear. There are moments where major events seemingly happen off screen, only for the next episode to jump straight into the aftermath with zero explanation. At one point a villain suddenly appears captured without us ever seeing how it happened. I genuinely wondered if I had accidentally skipped an episode. Cinematography also becomes a bit of a running joke. The director clearly loves dramatic front facing shots where characters deliver dialogue directly toward the camera with wind blowing through their hair like they are filming a shampoo commercial. Used sparingly it might have been effective. Here it happens so often that it becomes unintentionally funny.

Despite all the chaos, I remained oddly invested. The premise of a story that unfolds across generations is genuinely intriguing. The drama tries to show how past grudges, love stories, and betrayals ripple through time and affect the present generation. Unfortunately the execution often feels messy.

By the time we reach the final arc, the drama leans heavily into melodrama. The grand final battles are filled with dramatic speeches, slow motion wind effects, and characters vomiting alarming amounts of blood. Ironically there is often more talking than fighting. The supposed epic showdown sometimes feels less intense than earlier side conflicts. Even so, there are moments that land well. Song Yu Zhi quietly caring for Cai Zhao during her recovery was warm and comforting. In fact, I sometimes felt that Cai Zhao would have lived a calmer and more stable life with him. Their relationship would not have been fiery, but it would have been peaceful.

As for the ending, the drama wraps things up rather quickly. The final episode rushes through the fates of many characters with some awkward transitions. Mu Qing Yan ultimately becomes a matrilocal husband in Cai Zhao’s family, which was unexpected. It does soften his once domineering character, though the idea takes some getting used to. Still, the ending suggests a healthier relationship where he finally allows Cai Zhao the freedom she values. One thing I genuinely appreciated was Bao Shang En’s voice work. Unlike many costume dramas where female characters are dubbed with extremely high pitched voices, Cai Zhao’s voice here sounds deeper and more composed. It adds to her charisma and maturity.

In the end, Generation to Generation is a drama with an interesting premise but messy execution. The story spanning generations, the large cast of visually appealing actors, and the central romance all had strong potential. Unfortunately the overwhelming amount of characters, rushed storytelling, rough editing, and overly dramatic cinematography often make the viewing experience chaotic.

Still, if you enjoy complex wuxia stories filled with sect rivalries, generational grudges, and a romance that screams “we are toxic but we are pretty,” this drama might still entertain you. Just be prepared to pause, rewind, and occasionally laugh at scenes that feel like they escaped from a Kpop music video.

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I was honestly more interested in the previous generation.

With themes of classic wuxia series like heroism, chivalry, justice, camaraderie, responsibility of power & of course love this series could've been good if not for the many problems it had. As someone who really likes wuxia series I was happy to get something like this over the many more famous genres of recent years. Unfortunately, this series was just lacking in too many aspects that some of the good stuff never really stuck with me. I felt they never polished what they had & it eventually led a somewhat lackluster series overall.

Pros:
- OST is really good, especially "Intoxicate by Gentle Breeze" by Li Yuchun. It gave not only a very wuxia vibe, but just a very nonchalant free vibe making it a very good song. The OST heavily elevated the drama at times.
- Zhou Yi Ran kind of carried the younger actors of this drama. I don't think the drama would've been very good if he didn't give such a strong performance. Granted he did get better material to work with so...
- The older cast are good & a lot of them do really good with the material they are given.
- The world building is actually quite interesting & ambitious. This world has a lot of interesting ideas & stories going. One of the shows greatest strength was the 2 generations it focused on. It was always interesting to get into the history of the generation that came before & see what they had to go through.
- The show is cinematically very pretty, especially when they are in real landscapes. Then there are the slow-mo moments where we see they costumes flow ever so beautifully. I really like those moments.
- The fights are okay & fun, but definitely not bad. I do want to praise the actors, especially Bao Shang En for doing some of their own stunts. And it isn't just simple stunts, it's actually some pretty complex ones too.

Cons:
- So if you haven't noticed by now, for me the biggest problem is that a majority of the characters feel underdeveloped or have little material to work with. Even Cai Zhao & Cai Ping Shu, 2 of the most important characters felt off as characters. Much of Cai Zhao's character is her relationship with her Aunt Cai Ping Shu, but the problem is that we never get to see enough of their relationship together & thus we never get enough of emotional anchor for both. There are also things like Cai Zhao not wanting to join the jianghu, but they never explore anything deeper than the intro of ep 1. Eventually this causes Cai Zhao to have no real story of her own & she is just following her Aunt's old stories or following Mu Qing Yan's. Sigh~ a pity.
- Then there is the over abundance of characters & why it is best to not have so many characters. I think bucz they had so many characters, they couldn't really focus on any one & that left most of them being not memorable.
- Editing & some shot choices are weird too. At times I had an immersion break bcuz it was that bad.
- Most of the younger cast including Bao Shang En are rather weak. Bao Shang En at times felt like she was just reading the script rather than actually acting. I do think is a case of bad directing though so I won't be too harsh.
- As for the story it is unfortunately hampered down by the fact that the previous generation's story was way more interesting than the current gen. Only the 2 Lead's story were remotely interesting (mainly Mu Qing Yan) & even the twist villain was boring & cliche. And the story itself was too much, go on a quest & not enough of a big cohesive breathing world.

Overall, I wanted to like it, but it didn't feel like it was a complete story. Add on top of that an overly ambitious story spanning generations along with lacking production & it would be expected that this is the end result. I would have preferred if they took more liberties with the adaptation & cut more characters or even fix how certain story points proceeded. Bcuz what we got didn't really work in my opinion. However, as an inspiring writer I did get a lot from this series in how to approach a story like this or even characters like Cai Zhao so I guess that is a plus. LOL! Anyways, it was a decent show, but I just wish it would've been better.

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Waste of time

SYNOPSIS: Two tribal mindset groups have been at war & each other's enemies forever. One group is comprised of the 6 sects (who like to think of themselves as the cultured & righteous people). The other is the demon-art practicing set of human beings (call them demon sect). FL is from the 6 sects. ML is from the demon sect. Both are trained in martial arts. Twenty years ago some mysterious thing occurred between 6 sects and the demon king that resulted in FL's aunt killing ML's uncle to save her sects. The shadow of what happened at that time carries to this day in the lives of FL & ML & everyone else, including the survivors of that time period on both sides. FL & ML set out in search of the truth, have adventures, some cool fights, next to zero romance. ML is a long suffering, unhinged, crazy, manipulative & secretive lover boy with ambitions of ending the enmity & uniting all people, while FL is a practical, non-committal girl who believes there can never be peace between the 2 factions. They find out what happened all those years ago & who is creating unrest in present day.

PROBLEMS: This is a lame duck drama that was ambitious to conceptualize & produce because of all the story arcs from previous generations & ramifications of actions & how it spills into the personal dynamics of ML & FL.

1) The Hypocrisy of FL, Her Parents & 6 Sects: In the beginning of the series, FL is shown to be capable, strong, intelligent & practical. By episode 10 it is clear that she is shallow, thin-skinned, blind, opportunistic and flip flopper who cannot make up her mind or change but wants perfection in everything & wants ML to change to suit her, her greedy parents & her corrupt sect ideology. By episode 33, you are left scratching your head as to her motives & actions: Of course, the greedy parents of FL lapped up the gold & treasures (& thoughtful gifts) ML brought to be on their good side - forgetting he is from the demon side & forgetting that both had tried to kill ML in an ambush, and then agreed to his crippling in front of everyone even though he had done nothing wrong, AND that their daughter got the beating of a lifetime over saving this guy.

These same greedy parents were ecstatic when Song (SML, who will be lord of 6 sects after 'Master' current lord retires)'s father (SML's father) had provided them with keys to shops & lands as proposal for their daughter. These greedy parents were very okay with their daughter having a rich fiancé, son of a sect leader, who brought gifts whenever he showed up. Every single time, this good-for-nothing poverty stricken jobless parents and their daughter family is glad to attract the attention of upscale families, while pretending to be morally and ethically upstanding.

Usually such grifting is done by villains. For FL herself to use the love ML has for her & for her parents to use a 'daughter' for advancement, money & social status is pathetic. So much for the morals of Luoyong Valley!!!

2) Inconsistent Female Lead: You'll run out of times & ways in which FL keeps stringing at least 2-3 men around for majority of this drama, though other commenters disagree with this assessment. She continuously refuses ML's proposal (for one reason or another) despite claiming she loves him (it's never clear what she wants other than that she wants peace in the world even if it kills him or she kills him, she wants ML to come over to her sect, become a matrilocal husband, and give her and her family all of his riches! He agrees because he is shown to be totally obsessed with her).

In this drama, a woman who has no identity of her own & no accomplishment of her own - or at least not on an equal level with the man, is shown to use the affection & devotion of the said man to her advantage to usurp his wealth, identity & privilege in the name of 'female empowerment or liberation'.

In this series, ML has his own agenda - he wants to bring peace & get revenge at the same time - and wants an end to enmity between sects because he wants to 'marry FL honorably in open'. He keeps giving her suggestions as to how they can have a life together. She keeps saying no, she doesn't get it, she doesn't support him, she doesn't say she loves him.

He did use her unforgivably in one particular episode (in Ep. 29-30, when he willingly got caught in 6 sects web, threatening his own life, her life & the life of standbys all to achieve a result, which was to bring his own enemies out in the open & to force FL to make a choice to rescue him because he wanted her to show that she secretly loves him & she does rescue him because she loves him & will not watch an innocent man pay for the crimes of past generations). After the rescue FL tells him she loves him, dumps him, and continues to dilly dally with his feelings & time by never being clear about her wants. This continues till the last half hour of Ep.37 (the last episode!!!!)

In Ep. 33, FL says no to ML's proposal yet again, despite accepting the gifts, and her parents giving him a room in the house (which they did because of his gifts). She could've said no I don't trust you or you just came to get info on my aunt + Master + Jade to get MIB out of hiding (which was his goal apart from proposal anyways - even I had guessed he had 2 things planned for this trip) or let's not announce it yet or thank you but I need time, but no, she said expressionlessly, 'no, because you are from a prominent family' - height of hypocrisy & double standards because all that she and her family ever did was try to get a rich husband. And she does this to a person for the nth time whom she claims to love......(but no harm in accepting his gifts while giving him the cold shoulder).

FL also keeps repeating that 'all that I want is a peaceful life' but she continually inserted herself in dangerous situations, usually with ML or SML or both in tow. Lady, if you like living a peaceful life, just go back to Luoyong Valley and let grownups and guys fight it out between themselves.

Maybe it's a fantasy of some viewers (teenagers?) to see 'Cinderella' moments, to see rich powerful handsome men brought to their knees by talentless, loud, confused village belles who have no goals in life other than to snare the most eligible bachelor & emasculate him while 'peacefully' enjoying the privilege & freedom that his wealth brings. 'The Double', 'Blossoms in Adversity' & many other C-historical-dramas balanced conspiracy with slow burn aesthetically pleasing romance. This drama is a pill and a headache.

3) Obsession is bad: Yes, ML's obsession for FL is bad because he is clearly used and exploited by FL and her greedy parents. FL is obsessed with her aunt and not intelligent enough to understand that she is not her aunt, ML is not his dead misguided uncle and their life is their own to choose and make - not to be lead by her 'Master' lord of 6 sects, her greedy parents, or ideas of her aunt. Time and again, she tries to kill ML because she does not trust him or thinks he's doing something wrong - even though ML is always clear about his objectives that he wants to end the enmity between 6 sects and demon sect & to take revenge for the deaths of his father, friends etc. - just because he didn't tell her everything didn't mean his goal was bad or evil. But FL never gives him grace, never partners with him to fight forces together, instead keeps him insecure by roaming around with other guy (SML - who clearly wanted to marry her, while she did not, but she kept him around just the same). It was ML ultimately who was open with her and showed more character growth than she did. She remained the same obstinate, holier than thou hypocrite from start to finish, praising her corrupt sect & corrupt and murderous 'Master' (lord of 6 sects) and 'Luoyong Valley ways' (which were nothing more than praising her for finding 2 rich suitors). The 'Master' is obsessed with aunt, so is every guy from older generation (aunt also had 3 bonafide suitors), FL keeps talking about and thinking about her aunt, so does everyone else. And by the end of it all, you'll be sick of the aunt, her name, her role, everything. Aunt's lover is played by the ML from 'Blossom' drama 2025, LRY before his big break in Blossom, and you almost feel sorry for him to be reduced to empty flashbacks.

4) Unforgivable Betrayal of Memory & Personhood: I found it unforgivable that FL placed the ashes of the main villain, the ultimate source of murder and mayhem in the series, next to her aunt, even though he neither was the aunt's lover nor friend nor had he been good for the 6 sects or the demon sect. This felt like the ultimate betrayal by a so-called 'righteous' FL of aunt's memory who if anything would've preferred to be buried alone or maybe have the Zhangyang (man she wanted to marry and then killed) beside her but certainly not the 'man in black' who was responsible for so many massacres. It was further proof that FL just couldn't see straight for entirety of drama, running off into the sunset with a hen-pecked and emasculated ML.

4) Editing is Okay but Choice of Material is Not: Many commenters have disliked the fast-paced flipping from one scene to the next (calling it choppy editing). I did not think the editing was choppy, but I did think that the screenwriter and director should've changed the story arc of the FL to show some depth and growth. They also should have changed the original novel's story to give a better reason to the main villain for all the rampage and killing he did over the course of decades. His reasoning & actions didn't make sense & sounded like a juvenile crybaby tantrum. And since FL and villain arcs dragged out over the course of 37 episodes, it felt like a hot air lead balloon, not good dramatic storytelling.

PROS: The only thing good in the drama is ML's voice. The cast is full of young actors and they all did well with the material they were given. It is a high-end, big budget 'production'.

I cannot believe I watched 33 episodes (and then read the ending) of this mediocre drama.

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I was about to drop it in the first 4 episodes but I stayed because it's really a good drama. The first four episodes are confusing and I HATE how they did the make-up. I don't really get it why they didn't even fix the uneven foundation when the maid fell in the pool, you can literally see it in her forehead. Honestly guys, I wasn't satisfied with the editing and the cinematography of some parts. I feel like this c-drama deserves more cuz they acted well.🥺😞

I love everything except of some of my concerns. I FREAKING LOVE that Zhou Yiran and Bai Tianyang are cast again in a c-drama. I also love the acting of baobao, she's cute yet her voice isn't childish (AHEM!). They have a good chemistry. AND I cracked when I saw the fiancee of Cai Zhao, it's one of my favorite actors in short c-dramas.😭

I'll rate this 10/10!

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Strong Chemistry, Devastating Ending

Honestly, this drama felt quite boring at the beginning and almost made me drop it. The pacing was slow, and nothing really stood out in the early episodes.

However, everything changed thanks to the incredible acting of the cast. Their visuals were definitely a bonus, but it was their performance that kept me going—and I’m so glad I didn’t give up.

As the story progressed, it became more engaging and emotionally captivating. The chemistry between the two main leads felt natural and heartwarming. The female lead is shy, sweet, and adorable, while the male lead is protective and deeply caring—a combination that truly makes your heart flutter.

Towards the ending, the drama becomes intensely emotional and heartbreaking. There are many sacrifices and unexpected twists that completely caught me off guard. It’s not just a drama—it’s an emotional journey.

Overall, this drama is amazing, touching, and absolutely worth watching until the very end.
Thank you to all the cast and crew of Generation to Generation for creating such a memorable and impactful story

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Unpopular opinion. I TRIED, I Really tried!

Oh Drama! I was so excited when this came out since Yi Ran looked too fine in all those teasers and edits. Unfortunately, it was not my cup of tea.

I finally realized how fangirling can be. I never imagined I'd find a drama I had to finish because of the ML. BaoBao looks amazing in here as well, and their chemistry was too good! It wasn't enough to save this, though. I was already 17 episodes in, and I'm still honestly confused about what the world was going on. It was honestly frustrating, but whoa, I kept going! This show tried soooo hard to portray Mu Qing Yan as the ultimate anti-hero, only to actually sacrifice himself ALL THE TIME for our FL. This reminds me of the drama, Love and Redemption. Then I was again waiting for that GRAND FINALE where our ML would unleash his greatest power and finally achieve that revenge he has been plotting all this time, but pooof! another sacrifice, then killed him off in the end. My jaw was literally on the floor during that final episode. Then I was like, " That's it???? Then BAM! they sent him back, resurrected with whatever explanation they gave on why his poison actually disappeared. I honestly had to rewatch that scene coz I was sooo frustrated the first time.

Don't get me wrong, the cast did amazing! Some CGI scenes were a bit bleh, but most of them are actually a feast for the eyes! I think it was more of a pacing and story issue. There were too many flashbacks that I didn't even know who was who or what character was doing what. Trust me, I was THAT confused! LOL. I'm still excited for YiRan and BaoBao's future projects, though. This one, I guess, is just not really for me.

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