Generation to Generation (2026)

Generation to Generation is not the kind of drama that tries to captivate its audience with spectacle, kisses, or elaborately choreographed fight scenes. Instead, it focuses on something deeper: how the wounds and choices of one generation continue to echo in the next.

The characters are generally well written—there are many of them, which might seem intimidating at first, but don’t worry: you won’t miss the essential ones.

YI RAN !
The true centerpiece of the series, however, is undoubtedly Yi Ran in his portrayal of Mu Qingyan. His performance carries a rare intensity: sometimes a single look is enough to convey an entire storm of emotions. His acting is remarkably precise—fragile yet strong, broken yet determined. The way his gaze shifts, the tension in his voice, those micro-expressions that communicate everything without a word… Yi Ran performs with almost dangerous precision. He doesn’t try to show emotion; he simply lets it exist. As a result, some scenes stay in your mind for a long time, and whenever he appears, you feel like replaying the scene at least three times.

In that sense, he joins what Luo Yunxi brought to the genre: a more sensitive, layered, and introspective way of portraying wuxia heroes. But Yi Ran is not imitating anyone—he offers his own tone, his own version of the anti-hero, more introspective and internalized.

Romance
The romance here is rather chaste—which makes sense considering the characters’ age. The drama beautifully captures the feeling of first love and first emotional experiences. There is no need for kisses; simple gestures like holding hands, or the speech near the end, create some of the most memorable moments I’ve experienced while watching a C-drama.

FL
The heroine fits her role well and delivers a natural performance. She is energetic and curious—at the beginning more practical than romantic—but she ultimately plays a crucial role in the hero’s redemption.

PLOT
Regarding the plot, the story explores the characters’ mistakes and their attempts to repair the past. This complexity makes the narrative very human. Each character seems to represent a different stage: some are still trapped by the past, while others try to break the cycle. What makes the story compelling is that their decisions are never simple. We witness their contradictions, their sacrifices, and their regrets.

Almost every character is haunted in some way by the legacy of Cai Ping Shu. His heritage leaves a different mark on each member of this so-called “orthodox” sect, shaping their motivations in unique ways.

On the demonic side, our hero is a man haunted by the past, driven by the desire to uncover the truth, avenge his loved ones, and ultimately bring peace among the clans.

PROD
From a directing standpoint, the series clearly offers more than just something commercially profitable. There are good artistic ideas here—new directions worth exploring. Some narrative threads could have been handled better, Yes, the editing could be smoother, especially at the beginning, and sometimes more dynamic later on but these imperfections are forgivable. Personally, I would rather support projects like this than PURELY commercial productions which is tailor-made to satisfy the fandom of the lead stars.

The director also delivers several visually beautiful scenes, particularly those set in water with floating flowers. Another positive point is the restrained use of music—there is no overwhelming musical overdose.

CAST
Finally, the supporting cast deserves recognition as well. Many of the younger actors show promising potential, and the couple representing the older generation is very convincing.

Read More

Flawed but Not Without Merits

Long story short, I loved it! This drama has its flaws and frustrating moments but also has its fair share of merits.

Many people pointed out the less-than-optimal editing and storytelling, and honestly, it's a bit difficult not to. The editing team did a phenomenal disservice to an otherwise good drama. Especially in the initial episodes where some scenes seemed to have been clumsily stitched together without any regard for the flow, leaving the viewers to read between the lines. But as the story progresses, it gradually gets better and is no longer a major issue. So, if you are willing to give this drama a try, I’d suggest watching at least 6-8 eps before dropping because once you get hooked, it gets better.

The drama has a classical wuxia setting and gives a bit of Blood of Youth/Dashing youth and The Untamed vibes (minus the special effects) with intertwining friendships, love and hatred transcending generations. If you are new to wuxia, it may be overwhelming to keep track of the seemingly important looking unimportant characters sprawled across the board but in hindsight, they are ones who make the Jianghu feel alive and vibrant and help you appreciate the world-building in the long run.

The plot and the characters make for an interesting watch and personally, the cast really pulled through and saved this drama.

Zhou Yiran did a fabulous job portraying Mu Qingyan. He perfectly captured the nuances of MQY and looked absolutely stunning playing him. MQY is a complicated character; he is jealous, obsessive, manipulative, a bit unhinged and morally grey. But he’s also loyal, determined and is willing to go above and beyond to get what he wants because he has seen the people he loves, live with regrets their whole lives. He is very much flawed and at times, a bit difficult to like or defend but it’s still easy to root for him.

Now, Cai Zhao is the free-willed, strong and independent female lead that most writers fail to write. She is emotionally and physically strong and is extremely secure in her standing. She has a go with the flow attitude but is actually willing to take responsibility for her whims and doesn’t expect others to clean up after her or fight her battles. She knows what she wants and always followed her heart. She loved MQY in her own way but also refused to compromise and let go of everything else that mattered to her. Some people might call her indecisive, but I’ll forever love CZ for standing her ground. And Bao Shang En deserves so much praise for successfully bringing CZ to life.

The chemistry between the leads is really good but their relationship dynamic is potentially the most problematic part of this drama: They are toxic and rather frustrating to watch at times, so make sure to tread carefully. But personally, I think they save themselves from going too far and take time to grow and is actually okay by the end.

And the award for the best second male lead goes to Song Yuzhi! I absolutely adore him. Yuzhi starts off as the typical cold, rigid, righteous and somewhat pretentious 2ML but we soon get to see how clever and surprisingly flexible he is. He always did what he thought was right and had a clean conscience. He was always the first to see through MQY’s schemes and called him out on it but never interfered where it wasn’t his place to interfere. And he admired, respected and liked CZ in the best way possible, supportive but never trying to impose or influence her feelings and decisions. And he's so cute, I loved all his interactions with his father, who is also an absolute vibe might I add.

The other supporting characters were also written very well. And I simply cannot not mention You Guanyue. He single-handedly uplifted this drama for me ever since he first appeared. He is such a diva and his interactions with literally anyone is a joy to watch.

The character writing is honestly the best part of this drama for me. They start off as typical and risk falling flat but there are certain nuances which give them depth. And most importantly, it's consistent. MQY didn’t suddenly stop scheming and become 'good' to be more likable, CZ didn’t just forget she had a life and responsibilities after falling in love, SYZ didn’t become jealous and obsessive out of nowhere just because CZ didn’t love him. The writers being able to move the story forward and portray growth without uncharacteristically altering their personalities is something I can’t help but appreciate.

Now, the plot itself was decent but fell a little weak at times. As much as I understand Cai Pingshu’s importance and why literally everyone admired and loved her, she was overused as the driving force of the plot and emotional building to the point that no one could even have a conversation without someone mentioning her every other minute. The motive behind the main antagonist was also practically non-existent.

Overall, this drama is not perfect, and I can understand the disappointment of the novel readers, especially if they are mourning the potential of what this drama could’ve been. However, as I’ve never read the novel and just watched it as it came, I quite enjoyed this drama. Like I mentioned before, this drama has its flaws and if you wish to pick on it, there would be reasons not to like it. But personally, I think the cinematography, OSTs, characters and the acting really came together as the story progressed and made it worth a shot.

Read More