Generation to Generation Episode 36
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Generation to Generation - CommentaryDrama RamblingsGeneration to Generation: episode 36Character Analysis - Qi Yunke: the difference between love, lost and obssessionReally long and totally NOT succinct At All ramblings about (almost entirely) a single narrative point in Generation to Generation ššTLDR: at the bottomāāFinal battle between our leads Cai Zhao and Mu Qingyan vs Qi Yunke: Why does Qi Yunke hate Mu Qingyan so much and why is he so obssessed with pairing Cai Zhao with Song Yuzhi? Itās not because he loves his nephew (and favorite male student) Song Yuzhi and his bai yue guangās niece (and favorite female student) Cai Zhao that he thinks they should be together. In fact he was never even thinking about them as a potential couple until very recently. Because he was fine with Song Yuzhi and his daughter Qi Lingbo being engaged since forever. So what changed? It was, of course, our male lead Mu Qingyanās existence. With him in the picture, Qi Yunke realized Song Yuzhi and Cai Zhao are the real qing mei zhu ma who deserve each other, in his mind. Why? Itās because they remind him of himself and Cai Pingshu.The final battle is really the nail in the head. I love how this narrative has been planted since around ep 20 with Qi Yunkeās argument with his wife Yin Sulian. She hates Cai Pingshu, almost even more so after her death, because now Cai Pingshu will forever be in her husbandās mind as his bai yue guang. And the more Yin Sulian argues with Qi Yunke about Cai Pingshu, the more he feels like the world has wronged Cai Pingshu, even when she herself never had any regret when she was alive. After Chang Ning is revealed to be Mu Qingyan, a vital member of the Li Sect (Demon Sect), Qi Yunke told Cai Zhao about the āpainted skin demonā, that Mu Qingyan is like that. Throughout the show, and especially in this final battle, Qi Yunke constantly refer to Mu Qingyan as the āpainted skin demonā, never mind that he never actually killed anyone or betray Cai Zhao. Why? Of course itās because Mu Qingyan reminds Qi Yunke of the original āpainted skin demonā Mu Zhengyang. Not only is he another boy from the Demon Li Sect, he also looks almost exactly like Mu Zhengyang (because heās Mu Zhengyangās twin brotherās son š). And most importantly, because Cai Zhao loves Mu Qingyan. And chooses him. Time and time again Cai Zhao chooses Mu Qingyan, even going against her family, her Sect, hurting her people, all to save his life. Everytime Zhaozhao choose Mu Qingyan, it angers many people, but Iām sure no one is more angry than Qi Yunke. Despite the fact that Cai Zhao is not even his daughter. Why? Because this sacrificial devotion, this overwhelming, intense love, reminds Qi Yunke of something he can never have, something he lost. And lost to another Demon Sect boy. It was like seeing his bai yue guang, the love of his life, Cai Pingshu, falls for the mysterious masked boy, who turned out to be Li Sect member Mu Zhengyang, again. Itās like seeing how Pingshu, brave and beautiful as she is, chose an outsider boy, a boy from their Enemy Sect as that. A choice that ultimately proved disastrous, because it was Mu Zhengyang who killed all their Sect brothers and sisters, ultimately leading to Cai Pingshu having to fight Nie Hengcheng alone and left living half a life for years. That painful betrayal is the ghost that haunted Qi Yunkeās life, almost more than it haunted Cai Pingshu herself.To Qi Yunke, he sees Cai Zhao and Song Yuzhi as the perfect couple, because he sees himself in Song Yuzhi the way he sees Cai Pinsghu in Cai Zhao. And the more Cai Zhao loves Mu Qingyan, the more Qi Yunke hates him. To Qi Yunke, Mu Qingyan mustāve seduced Cai Zhao to use her the way Mu Zhengyang did Cai Pingshu. History really repeats itself. Thatās why when he sees Song Yuzhi cares for Cai Zhao, itās like him caring for Cai Pingshu again. Hence why the last few episodes, heās sooo much more obssessed with pairing Zhaozhao with Yuzhi. Of course Mu Qingyan also proves to be a thorn in his side, ruining his plans with Nie Zhe and reviving Li Sect instead of destroying it like Qi Yunkeās wish. But out of everything, Qi Yunkeās personal beef with Mu Qingyan all boils down to Mu Qingyan being his uncleās nephew, Cai Zhao being her auntās niece and Song Yuzhi being his nephew. Because if Qi Yunke himself lost the fight in this love triangle, then the least he can do is let his nephew win, right?Yet the more Qi Yunke insists on Cai Zhao and Song Yuzhi, the more he proves himself to be in the wrong. All it shows is that he never really loved or understood Cai Pingshu. Why is it that she went with Mu Zhengyang to find the Snow Scaled Beastās saliva, the Night Orchid or the Sunflower, and not with him. Why is it that all these years Cai Pingshu is still alive and yet Qi Yunke himself could never be with her? Why is it that even when she knows Nie Hengcheng will die within 3 years but still risked her life to kill him? These are all the things in life that Qi Yunke will never understand. Like why Cai Pingshu chose Mu Zhengyang, why she loved him. Yes, itās true that Mu Zhengyang approached Pingshu with ulterior motives. But itās also true that they loved each other. Just like with Cai Zhao and Mu Qingyan. Like how Cai Zhao said in ep 29, that despite many times Mu Qingyan lied to her, used her, upset her, she canāt hell but love him. And yes, in the end, Cai Pingshu killed Mu Zhengyang, but she never regretted having met him and loved him. Nor does her loving or hating Mu Zhengyang has anything to do with Qi Yunke in the first place. And similarly, neither is who Cai Zhao Song Yuzhi and Mu Qingyan loves or doesnāt love. Love is not something you can force. The more you force it, the more it will turn to hate. We actually see this theme talked about often in this drama. With the most glaring example being Qi Yunke himself with his wife Yin Sulian. Sulian forcing herself to believe Qi Yunke loved her or still loves her, just to end up dead under his blade. Her mistake proved fatal. His cruelty and hypocrisy proved painful for all involved, but especially his innocent daughter Qi Lingbo. In fact the person who spelled this theme out is actually Cai Zhao, to Mu Qingyan. Even when she fell for him, loved him, risked her life for him, time and time again Zhaozhao told Qingyan to let her go. Because she will not repeat her ancestorsā mistakes. To be locked up in a cage like the second generation of Luoying Valley lord, Luo Shiyun, by her lover Mu Donglie. Or be betrayed like her aunt Cai Pingshu by her lover Mu Zhengyang, or be forced into accepting anyone suit, or to leave behind her family for any man. At least 3 times Mu Qingyan fought for this, fought for her to stay with him. But despite everything, and finally the fourth time, he let her go. Just because Cai Zhao loves Mu Qingyan doesnāt mean she have to choose to be with him, not at least until he proves that itās worth it for her. Why did Cai Zhao chose to save Mu Qingyan knowing the potential life threatening consequences she will face but still do it, and insists again she would still do it even if she knew he used her as a leverage in his plan, and yet in the same conversation told him sheās leaving him? Because saving him is worth it, and that he proved so, risking his life many times before to save her, and because itās the right thing to do, that he did no wrong to deserve being executed, and that even if Cai Zhao is the only one willing to save him, she must risk it. And at the same time, Mu Qingyan did not prove to Cai Zhao itās worth it or that itās the right thing to do to be with hi, yet. Even when he planted the blossoms tree to remind her of her hometown Luoying Valley, or treat her most warmly, thereās still unfinished business, people she left behind who deserved an answer from her. Thatās why Cai Zhao still left Mu Qingyan, when she knew well if she stay, she can be the jiaozhu furen, avoid facing capital punishment back in Qingque Sect, and of course, be with Mu Qingyan. Because if Cai Zhao stayed, she would break her own rules, and hurt everyone she loved and who loved her back. For Cai Zhao, no matter how much she loved Mu Qingyan, she never wanted to compromise her freedom, her free spirit, to be with him, because she understand that in the long run, that kind of obssessive love will turn into hate. So much ramblings about Cai Zhao and Mu Qingyan in the last point š i mean it makes sense, they are the main characters after all š but back to Qi Yunke. The last and most blatant point that seperates him and Cai Pingshu is what he chose to do in the end after she dies. I think after years of doing everything to save her, Cai Pingshu stil passed away, and people moved on, that enraged Qi Yunke. But his grief became a deadly fuel, a greed that knows no end. In this final battle, Qi Yunke kept saying everything he did was for Cai Pingshu, but how could it? He was just deluding himself. Because part of, if not all of him knows damn well if Cai Pingshu was still alive, she would never accept his evil plans. And yet in the end, he still insisted that he did it all for her. Using Cai Pingshu as an excuse for his greed, this final straw is what proved Qi Yunke will never understand or deserve Cai Pingshu.āāOk that was a lot. Iād say, despite everything, Iām actually not sure if Qi Yunke ever ālovedā Cai Pingshu š what I mean is, I donāt 100% think the showās narrative portrays Qi Yunkeās feelings for Cai Pingshu as entire inherently romantic. All this ramblings is just my own interpretation that their relationship, Cai Pingshu, Mu Zhengyang and Qi Yunke, is meant to parallel Cai Zhao, Mu Qingyan and Song Yuzhi. Hence why I see it as Qi Yunke being obssessed over Cai Pingshu. Which he is, at least in the literal meaning, but im not sure if it was truly romantic or more so a kind of guilt, especially survivor guilt, considering aside from Cai Pingshu, himself and Lei Xiuming, all their other friends were killed by Mu Zhengyang. Lastly, I wanna comment on how Qi Yunke being the final villain. I must admit that I suspected him since forever, but, Call me Cai Zhao cuz I did NOT want him to be the final Big Bad at all š. First, itās cliche š i love cliches sometimes but itās just tooā¦predictable idk š second, i guess seeing how much Cai Zhao respected Qi Yunke and loves him like a father, i didnāt want it to be true at all š yes he gets on my nerves the first 15 eps or so of the show i canāt lie. I hate men (male characters) who are weak, wishy washy with their wives and obviously pining for another woman, but especially his hypocrisy surrounding Yin Dai. And even despite all that (which are all obvious narrative foundation for him being the final Big Bad), I still didnāt want it to be true š i guess I felt for Cai Zhao too much, and I was right, because it makes her being the one to kill him hurts 10x more, even when he deserves it š the perfect poetic irony, and yet the one staying behind, the one successfully avenge their loved ones and kill the villain, actually is the one who will mourn his death the most š i guess it makes for good angst that they built Cai Zhaoās relationship with Qi Yunke so well that I almost hate it.I also liked that in the end, after all that madness, Qi Yunke actually came to realize his misjudgement. Because after Zhaozhao stabbed him, Qi Yunke woke up and acknowledge that Mu Qingyan is not the "painted skin demonā. In a sense, they broke that generational curse š finally Qi Yunke sees Mu Qingyan for who he really is and not as a comparison to his uncle, but it's a little too late. Not that they were ever chummy anyways, but it was a big hurt for Zhaozhao to choose between her family, her sect, including her shifu, vs choosing Mu Qingyan, so that final acceptance really ties it all together the theme of peace over the jianghu world.āāAlso yes in the beginning I said Qi Yunke shipping Cai Zhao and Song Yuzhi is not because he loves them, but that donāt mean I think his affection for them was fake, though š I actually believe Zhaozhao and Yuzhi are the ones Qi Yunke genuinely loved. Qi Yunke is a profound villain, I will say. Heās a major hypocrite, but he, too, has validity in his ambition and has love for a few he has ties with. Though Song Yuzhi is also Yin Daiās grandson, Qi Yunke did raise him, so it hurts to hurt him. Similarly, Cai Zhao is another child he raised, but even more so, Cai Zhao is the closest person to Cai Pingshu whoās still alive anymore. Which is why when he said Mu Qingyan deserves to die when he dragged Zhaozhao into his evil plans, he means it. Mu Qingyan really is the outlier Qi Yunke could not foresee in his perfect plan, and his existence sure to infuriates Qi Yunke to no end š.āāAlso interestingly how the younger generation are all niece and nephews of the older gen š we got mommy issues and daddy issues, now itās uncle issues šš jddjdjdāāOkay thatās all š it was such a long commentary š idk if anyone but me will read this but if you do, thanks š mostly just me rambling lol, but despite everything, I liked how the finale fight went. Overall the drama has some plot holes mostly in terms of character building but itās not too glaring or take away from the journey or the ending for me. āāTLDR: Qi Yunke hates Mu Qingyan and wants Cai Zhao to end up with Song Yuzhi because he sees himself in Song Yuzhi, Cai Zhao is like her aunt Cai Pingshu and Mu Qingyan js like his uncle Mu Zhengyang. If Qi Yunke couldnāt be with Cai Pingshu, then at least Cai Zhao should be with Song Yuzhi.
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