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Interesting and Intricate storylines from Generation to Generation but not perfectly executed
Subjective Gut Rating: 8.25
I’m interested in checking out “Generation to Generation” because there aren’t that many wuxia dramas out there that only focus on the martial arts world without the cultivation to immortality. And there are many more political, historical and xianxia dramas out there. Besides, I haven’t seen Zhou Yi Ran in a while and especially in a period drama. “Generation to Generation” has quite an intricate plot that has storylines that span two generations. It’s an ambitious novel adaptation that didn’t quite execute perfectly.
Likes:
Mu Qing Yan (ML) - You can say he’s a red flag or a gray character. He’s not a full-on red flag as in Xie Wei in “The Story of Kunning Palace” where he would manhandle FL. Instead, he’s intelligent and calculating, obsessed and lonely. What I love about him is that he is still pretty much the same Mu Qing Yan from beginning to the end (with the exception of the very last episode). You know he has some dirty tricks and schemes in his sleeves, and you know there must be an underlying reason for his actions, no matter how innocent it seems. Mu Qing Yan is a very interesting antihero.
Zhou Yi Ran (actor) - He is the star of the show. If you are his fan, you have got to check out this drama for him. He’s no longer the teenager I remember in “When I Fly Towards You” or “The Bond”. His acting has matured, especially the subtle emotional acting, a little side eye or smirk here and there. From acting to body posture, he exudes charisma and you cannot take your eyes off him.
Cai Zhao - Cai Zhao is the perfect match for Mu Qing Yan. She is not only intelligent and can see through Mu Qin Yan’s motives and schemes. She’s also street smart and knows how to use her quick wits to either avoid conflict or skirt past them. Additionally, she’s strong physically. Cai Zhao is no damsel in distress. Instead, she often scoops in to save the day or fight as an equal partner and warrior alongside Mu Qing Yan.
General Plot - I was entertained throughout the 37 episodes and was paying attention to the intricate events and characters. I really like the plot of both generations, and enjoy seeing how the characters and the action of the older generation affect the storylines of the younger generations. I can only imagine how much better the novel is compared to the drama.
Mixed feelings and Average:
Execution of the Plot - As much as I like the general plot, the execution could use some more work. Many characters are introduced within the first episodes, and these names keep on coming back throughout the drama. At times, the drama does show flashbacks to remind you of who these minor characters are. But sometimes when they don’t, a name would be thrown out here and there, and I would have to think really hard and recall who they are. Additionally, there’s not enough time to really show what happened before and now. The story of heroine Cai Ping Shu (FL’s aunt) really took up a lot of the screentime. Everything happened because of her. I wish a whole season was dedicated to the older generation’s love triangles and one-sided loves, hatred, betrayals, and schemes. It sounded more fun than what the younger generation is going through. If we can get 2 seasons, one per generation, that would be awesome.
Acting - Aside from Zhou Yi Ran, the rest of the cast did a fine job. I don’t think anyone really stands out, and this includes the veterans. Bao Shang En did a decent good job as the female lead, but there’s still room for improvement during emotional scenes. I feel that none of the actors has done a better job than Zhou Yi Ran in those subtle facial expressions. Having said that, no one also sticks out like a sore thumb. They are just fine.
Romance/Chemistry - I mentioned earlier, I love that Mu Qin Yan is obsessively in love yet never really hurts Cai Zhao in any way. He never physically chokes her (LOL) nor puts her in any dangerous situation. Their relationship is interesting. You can say Mu Qin Yan deceives Cai Zhao many times. You can say Cai Zhao abandons and never puts Mu Qin Yan above her family, friends and principles. But as you get to know the characters, you find their actions totally make sense. Cai Zhao is smart and she will see through Mu Qin Yan’s manipulation and schemes, and the funny thing is, Mu Qin Yan knows that, too. It doesn’t matter, she will choose to be ‘manipulated’ time and time again. However, I do find the chemistry between the two leads to be just OK. It’s not sizzling and it’s not fluffy. It’s…..OK. For that, I am slightly disappointed.
Disappointments:
Fight/Action scenes - Unfortunately for a wuxia drama, the action scenes are very average or slightly below average. There are not enough to begin with. The ones we do have are filled with slow motion moves, occasional posing and just not good hardcore sword fighting.
Production Value - It’s pretty clear that this is not a big budget production. You barely have 20 people when you start a rebellion or hostile takeover or going to battle. The CGI isn’t well done and I am really disappointed in the costumes. Some of them look like random cloth draped on the actors. There’s also ugly uniforms that look like aprons made out of blankets!
Main Villain - You can tell immediately who the main villain is. No question at all! The reason for them turning evil was so hilarious and delusional. They were mysterious for a while but once the reasons for everyone’s actions were revealed, I was laughing out loud at its ridiculousness. This is probably what caused many viewers to be super disappointed in the last few episodes.
Episode 37 (Ending) - I was expecting a different direction of the ending that could be much more memorable and realistic. But I also am not surprised that the drama went with a more popular direction. But the reason for ML’s sudden health change was quite ridiculous. However, I am most disappointed in the execution of the ending. It was so cheesy!!! The drama was quite serious from start to almost finish. Yet the last episode totally changes the vibe of the drama. I really do not need a song and dance.
Would I recommend this drama? I would, especially if you are a veteran wuxia drama watcher who is familiar and comfortable with the introduction of many characters. The plot is intricate yet not really very confusing but will require your full attention. However, it does take patience to sit through the whole drama to let the stories slowly unfold. If you are a fan of Zhou Yi Ran, definitely check it out. I debated rating this an 8 or 8.5, and I settled with 8.25 rounding up to 8.5 because I was having a hard time recently finding a drama to hold my attention from start to finish. “Generation to ‘Generation” was able to keep me interested during this time when I have a very short attention span.
Completed: 3/18/2026 Review #673
I’m interested in checking out “Generation to Generation” because there aren’t that many wuxia dramas out there that only focus on the martial arts world without the cultivation to immortality. And there are many more political, historical and xianxia dramas out there. Besides, I haven’t seen Zhou Yi Ran in a while and especially in a period drama. “Generation to Generation” has quite an intricate plot that has storylines that span two generations. It’s an ambitious novel adaptation that didn’t quite execute perfectly.
Likes:
Mu Qing Yan (ML) - You can say he’s a red flag or a gray character. He’s not a full-on red flag as in Xie Wei in “The Story of Kunning Palace” where he would manhandle FL. Instead, he’s intelligent and calculating, obsessed and lonely. What I love about him is that he is still pretty much the same Mu Qing Yan from beginning to the end (with the exception of the very last episode). You know he has some dirty tricks and schemes in his sleeves, and you know there must be an underlying reason for his actions, no matter how innocent it seems. Mu Qing Yan is a very interesting antihero.
Zhou Yi Ran (actor) - He is the star of the show. If you are his fan, you have got to check out this drama for him. He’s no longer the teenager I remember in “When I Fly Towards You” or “The Bond”. His acting has matured, especially the subtle emotional acting, a little side eye or smirk here and there. From acting to body posture, he exudes charisma and you cannot take your eyes off him.
Cai Zhao - Cai Zhao is the perfect match for Mu Qing Yan. She is not only intelligent and can see through Mu Qin Yan’s motives and schemes. She’s also street smart and knows how to use her quick wits to either avoid conflict or skirt past them. Additionally, she’s strong physically. Cai Zhao is no damsel in distress. Instead, she often scoops in to save the day or fight as an equal partner and warrior alongside Mu Qing Yan.
General Plot - I was entertained throughout the 37 episodes and was paying attention to the intricate events and characters. I really like the plot of both generations, and enjoy seeing how the characters and the action of the older generation affect the storylines of the younger generations. I can only imagine how much better the novel is compared to the drama.
Mixed feelings and Average:
Execution of the Plot - As much as I like the general plot, the execution could use some more work. Many characters are introduced within the first episodes, and these names keep on coming back throughout the drama. At times, the drama does show flashbacks to remind you of who these minor characters are. But sometimes when they don’t, a name would be thrown out here and there, and I would have to think really hard and recall who they are. Additionally, there’s not enough time to really show what happened before and now. The story of heroine Cai Ping Shu (FL’s aunt) really took up a lot of the screentime. Everything happened because of her. I wish a whole season was dedicated to the older generation’s love triangles and one-sided loves, hatred, betrayals, and schemes. It sounded more fun than what the younger generation is going through. If we can get 2 seasons, one per generation, that would be awesome.
Acting - Aside from Zhou Yi Ran, the rest of the cast did a fine job. I don’t think anyone really stands out, and this includes the veterans. Bao Shang En did a decent good job as the female lead, but there’s still room for improvement during emotional scenes. I feel that none of the actors has done a better job than Zhou Yi Ran in those subtle facial expressions. Having said that, no one also sticks out like a sore thumb. They are just fine.
Romance/Chemistry - I mentioned earlier, I love that Mu Qin Yan is obsessively in love yet never really hurts Cai Zhao in any way. He never physically chokes her (LOL) nor puts her in any dangerous situation. Their relationship is interesting. You can say Mu Qin Yan deceives Cai Zhao many times. You can say Cai Zhao abandons and never puts Mu Qin Yan above her family, friends and principles. But as you get to know the characters, you find their actions totally make sense. Cai Zhao is smart and she will see through Mu Qin Yan’s manipulation and schemes, and the funny thing is, Mu Qin Yan knows that, too. It doesn’t matter, she will choose to be ‘manipulated’ time and time again. However, I do find the chemistry between the two leads to be just OK. It’s not sizzling and it’s not fluffy. It’s…..OK. For that, I am slightly disappointed.
Disappointments:
Fight/Action scenes - Unfortunately for a wuxia drama, the action scenes are very average or slightly below average. There are not enough to begin with. The ones we do have are filled with slow motion moves, occasional posing and just not good hardcore sword fighting.
Production Value - It’s pretty clear that this is not a big budget production. You barely have 20 people when you start a rebellion or hostile takeover or going to battle. The CGI isn’t well done and I am really disappointed in the costumes. Some of them look like random cloth draped on the actors. There’s also ugly uniforms that look like aprons made out of blankets!
Main Villain - You can tell immediately who the main villain is. No question at all! The reason for them turning evil was so hilarious and delusional. They were mysterious for a while but once the reasons for everyone’s actions were revealed, I was laughing out loud at its ridiculousness. This is probably what caused many viewers to be super disappointed in the last few episodes.
Episode 37 (Ending) - I was expecting a different direction of the ending that could be much more memorable and realistic. But I also am not surprised that the drama went with a more popular direction. But the reason for ML’s sudden health change was quite ridiculous. However, I am most disappointed in the execution of the ending. It was so cheesy!!! The drama was quite serious from start to almost finish. Yet the last episode totally changes the vibe of the drama. I really do not need a song and dance.
Would I recommend this drama? I would, especially if you are a veteran wuxia drama watcher who is familiar and comfortable with the introduction of many characters. The plot is intricate yet not really very confusing but will require your full attention. However, it does take patience to sit through the whole drama to let the stories slowly unfold. If you are a fan of Zhou Yi Ran, definitely check it out. I debated rating this an 8 or 8.5, and I settled with 8.25 rounding up to 8.5 because I was having a hard time recently finding a drama to hold my attention from start to finish. “Generation to ‘Generation” was able to keep me interested during this time when I have a very short attention span.
Completed: 3/18/2026 Review #673
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