Reviews

Misleading Plot (and not much to compensate for it)

I have very mixed feelings about this drama, and most of them stem from the feeling of being mislead.

I started this cdrama, like many people before me I assume, expecting to see a "Virtual murder-mystery meets Real Life'' romcom, and I ended up settling for a typical workplace drama. I have nothing against them, although I do think the whole CEO ML and assistant FL is an overused (and patriarchal) trope, but I think it was definitely false advertising.

If the first three episodes or so actually alternated between the two settings, the whole Rongcheng storyline was very quickly scrapped and frankly, it seemed like they completely forgot about it. I get that it worked as a plot device, to highlight the desire of the main pair to escape from reality, but they didn't even try to include it in the latter part of the series.

The main couple is cute, but brings nothing new to the screen, and is not enough to convince me to watch until the end... though I do appreciate how recent dramas have started showing more physical romance.
And dont get me started on the side couple! Which had way more potential than the main one, yet was given no screentime whatsover (why hint at a romance in the first place then...).

From episode 20 on I felt like the storyline was unnecessarily dragged (and this was a very short drama compared to other cdramas) and I forced myself to finish it, just cause.

If you are looking for a simple, cliché-y workplace drama, this is for you.
If, like me, you are looking for a alternate reality / almost magic realism-like cdrama, look elsewhere.

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Way More Entertaining Than It Sounds

First of all, if anyone is like me and the synopsis isn’t really pulling them in, just ignore it like I did. The synopsis was giving strong reverse harem vibes and that’s a genre I’m personally not interested in at all. Thankfully, the drama itself doesn’t actually lean into that vibe

About the story, it's probably not something people will remember for years but it’s very entertaining. It does its job well, which is simply keeping you hooked. There were no filler episodes and no dull moments in between. The screenplay stayed consistently engaging.

The comedy was genuinely there, not just some lame, forced, outdated jokes trying too hard to make viewers laugh. It felt very timely and well placed. After a long time, I found myself genuinely anticipating when the couple would finally get together or when the romance would properly kick in. They handled the romantic progression quite nicely too.

It had an enemies-to-lovers vibe but not the overly dramatic grudges that fictional stories often fabricate. And thankfully it wasn’t one of those silly Kdrama grudges like “he stole my eraser in kindergarten.” It felt much more grounded, like how sometimes you simply don’t like or don’t click with a classmate or coworker. I’m sure most people have experienced that at some point. I appreciated how the reason behind their initial hostility felt natural rather than contrived.

Jisoo did exactly what was required for the type of drama this was. Honestly, she seems like another victim of people being overly critical of conventionally pretty actors. For the role she was given, she delivered it quite well and she felt especially natural in the comedic moments.

I was also a bit surprised by Seo In Guk in this drama because in the beginning there were barely any scenes of him the way you’d expect from a lead. But that absence gets compensated in the second half. His chemistry with Jisoo was also more entertaining than I initially anticipated

Overall, it’s just a very enjoyable watch. Definitely an entertaining ride that keeps you invested and gives you a couple you’ll find yourself rooting for

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The Real Stars: Yo Ki & Yang Meng

If we are being real, Yo Ki and Yang Meng are the only reason to watch this show. While the main story was sometimes too heavy or confusing, these two kept things fun and sweet.
Lin Feng Song (Yo Ki) played the persistent pursuer perfectly, and Chen Wen (Yang Meng) was adorable as the guy who acted annoyed but clearly loved the attention. Their scenes felt like a breath of fresh air. I found myself fast-forwarding through everything else just to see them together.
Even if the editing wasn’t perfect and the other couples were boring, the "ChengWen" duo made it all worth it. They took a side story and turned it into the best part of the entire series. They are the definition of "carrying the show on their backs."

My Ratings:
Story Plot: 5/10 (A bit boring)
Visuals/Editing: 6/10 (Could be better)
Yo Ki & Yang Meng Chemistry: 10/10 (Amazing!)

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Don't excepting this drama

There is one unspeakable rule when i want to watch duanju for Wang Xiao Yi: Never expected too much for her romance drama. She is quite good at non romance drama role but her magic doesn't work non romance drama. Her kisses skill was quite evolved from her drama with Ye Haoran but the hot kisses means nothing if they don't have any chemistry.
Wang Xiao Yi's acting felt a bit over the top at times, such as when she calls the ML "husband" in public, which felt a little "dramatic." Also, the scenes in the early episodes where she tries to seduce ML (I know it's probably scripted) felt a bit overdone. It makes me feel like the she isn't quite suited to this type of role. Liang Siwei is just another Liang Siwei, there is nothing to complain except the chemistry doesn't seems work for me and i just forget the drama after i watch this.

The plot is the same old trope of a wealthy, unloved FL reclaiming everything. The story is fairly standard, and the plot is a bit short, but it does have its unique aspects. From the beginning, the FL has a clear goal: to regain her company shares. She beats up any bad guys she sees, which is hilarious and strangely satisfying to watch. ML also knows the FL's intentions from the start and falls in love with her before she does, so he's always jealous. At least the FL character was not miserable.

Not sure if i want to recommend this drama unless you're hardcore fans of leads.

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Script consisting of chaotic, messy and unhealthy relationships

OVERVIEW

Generation to generation is an administered tale of romance, forbidden love, sect rivalries, and deep angst. It revolves around a mysterious man whose father was ambushed and killed in his sight, leading him to make an entrance into the Qingque sect, where he meets Cai Zhao, a free-spirited and carefree woman, and they get entangled, leading to schemes, manipulations, and love. Advancing to a darker character, Mu Qing Yan, who takes on the lead in chasing Cai Zhao, their love is put to the test through family conflicts, sect rivalries, thoughts of good and evil, and personal feelings.

Review in Full Details (Spoilers Ahead)

Initial Thoughts

The episodes in which I get to see Zhou Yi Ran playing as Chang Ning were my overriding joy, overloading me with how manipulative, cunning, and scheming he really is. Using the righteous sect members as a tool to achieve his goal was a narratively good plot. Having the female lead see through his plots at the beginning episodes deserves applause, as we were given an instinctively smart female lead.

The dynamics we get between Mu Qing Yan & Yu Zhi were really endearing, as their bickering added a depth of laughter for me.

Generation to Generation (GTG) gives us a romance filled with angst, suffering because of the excuse of righteous and evil sect, not a romance where you would watch, cause it's light-hearted, a romance were we get to see the suffering of not belonging to same sect (good and evil), were the leads struggle to find peace in their journey as a couple like any normal couple.

Themes and Character depth

The drama explicated on how love can blossom amidst the conflict of good and evil, the disapproval of sects, the disapproval of parents, and the disapproval of your personal feelings
The show is clear that the blossom of feeling doesn't matter by your sect, family, background, personal feeling, just a matter of your heart.

Chang Ning was a well-impressed character who showed in only the first few episodes, but I would say he ensnared my heart, being a cunning, manipulative schemer who uses anyone around him to get to his goal, one which love could never reach to stop his goals.

Mu Qing Yan embodied a character of a sober backstory who was abandoned by his mother when he was less than one year old in a worn-out house, where he stayed for about five years, before he was taken away by his father. We saw how his character was being made into a manipulative, cunning, patient schemer.

Cai Zhao embodied a character with a light backstory, growing up with her parents and aunts, being made into a laid-back, free-spirited, and care-free nature, where we could see from the beginning episodes that she did not like Jianghu. A character who is unambitious, with no dreams, complements her nature of eating, sleeping, and waking up.

Yuzhi embodied a character, being smart and reserved, having not much to say, from his mouth, his character brought in humor, which made him really endearing. Where he isn't love-obsessed, though he was in love, his psychological state is hardly affected by things being compared to Mu Qing Yan. He is always composed, so you can't see him emotionally deranged. The Dou father-son relationship was one of the major highlights of His character. It was a fun, entertaining, and remarkable watch.


Chemistry

Their chemistry can't be said to be all good NO NO NO, going in the subtle moment of their chemistry, the designers come throwing an aesthetics when the chemistry hasn't been made, weren't the directors actually trusting in their abilities?
I would say I would feel more chemistry tension from our second couple - Lingbo and Dai Feng Chi just the touch of their eyes got me saying this is better, yeah NO DAMN AESTHETICS CONFLICTING THEIR CHEMISTRY, the aesthetics gets to conflicts with the chemistry of our leads and if it was actually made I find it really, really bland, I mean Zhou Yi Ran actually getting the work done what was Bao Shang En doing acting all stiffed.
The chemistry was a precise failing when we actually reached a point when the directors were really forcing it, putting in beautiful shots to actually complement it, NOPE NOPE NOPE, it precisely created a conflict in my emotions.
The last episode was my best chemistry with the leads.

Performance Highlights
Zhou Yiran really slayed those roles as mysterious Chang Ning and a Dark Mu Qing Yan; he seemed more like the character and vice versa. I could really see from his emotional expressions, to his facial expressions, to his acting, it was a hit on the nail. Giving him 9.5

Bao Shang En (won't say much, already said it in the chemistry), what was that at some moments I could actually see stiffness in the acting, felt really detached at some scenes, at some points she was right on the track, really at a few points I would say.
Her stellar acting in episode 36 ending and 37 were my best, I could bear with her emotional attachment in killing her master - I felt her pain when she cries over the dying Mu Qing Yan, those episodes outplayed her overall performance. Giving her 4.0 for EPS 1 - 35, adding 3.0 points for the last 2 eps.
Overall 7.0 ratings.

Yu Jia Cheng, portraying this character, was actually an eye-opener because he left me an impression in my heart that I could not get to see him off my screen as soon as possible. He was so great that I could find him palpable.

His bickering with Mu Qing Yan was always my favorite scenes his act of honesty and righteousness was endearing. Though his character felt repetitive and had some flaws, he was a memorable Green-flagged character. Rating him 9.25

Dislikes
The plot was quite messy and repetitive; they overloaded us with lots of clichés, nearly surpassing the plot (chaotic relationships). Even if it is a cliche, it can be good when used well, but it was overused and wrongly used.
Unpleasant plot as the younger generation seem lesser than their predecessors, the older generation.
The chaotic and toxic relationship between our leads, which leaves me as a broken soul in their romance, was one moment lover, another moment fight, a push and pull relationship, breaking with lots of schemes and stabs, manipulativeness, and distrust.
Their relationship was one of the major falls for me in this plot, like the misunderstanding was a lot over my head.

Giving in filler when they had nothing better to do, giving in a kiss when it wasn't necessary - EPS 29/30. When she kissed him for the first time, it was really a forced filler; it was absolutely unnecessary if she was leaving. Like having kissed him, then cutting ties with him, wanting him to remember you forever, or actually, what, weren't there any better things to be added there? The filler was so obviously wrong to force a chemistry.

Some scenes were clearly seen as playing emotional rob on us, in which the transitions between the scenes seem inconsistent, where you could laugh, frown, groan, and angst all at once in a very unpleasant way.


The plot logic behind the villains being made because of Cai Ping Shu was really, really lame. The villains actually kept on blaming others when they could have saved her themselves.
The plot couldn't find a more compelling way to make the villains. The villain would say it was predictable from certain episodes.

The fight scenes at the ending EPS felt a little rushed - it was not shown how Yu Zhi beat his brother in a fight, we just saw he actually won, that was damn bad for me, cuz the first fight they hard was clearly shown and then the second fight we heared the brother saying You have mastered this skill (veil breaker), like shit was that why you got beaten why not show me, really disappointed.

Final thoughts
I would conclude by stating that the drama portrayed familial relationships in a quite endearing manner, seeing and feeling what it means to have good parents. -
The father-son relationship brings feelings subtly, gracing the screen with my over-the-top smiles.
Talking more of Cai Zhao's relationship with her parents, conferred me with more than a touch of laughter, smiles giggle. Teaches the lessons of having good parents, who will protect and care for you no matter those circumstances - One of my best green flaged parent's.
The relationships we got between the two sidekicks of My Qing Yan were my really funny moments of smiles, smirks, and amusements. Their duo was one of my major stand-outs of G2G.

Concluding this G2G is a that brings us more angst, rather than greater smiles, engaged in a flawed plot and a messy writing with pretty aesthetics that doesn't suit in some scenes.

Memorable characters Chang Ning, Mu Qing Yan, and Yuzhi.
Would I recommend this? No, even for lovers of wuxia epics i find it hard excluding you are ready for Draggy romance, push and pull romance, predictable villains, lame excuses for villains, and their romance is really chaotic.
With all said Rating this 7.0

Thanks For Reading

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I enjoyed it...

When I heard about this series, I was really looking forward to it because it sounded fantastic. And I really enjoyed the first six episodes, it had a great atmosphere and the beautiful Canada? That was a real joy to watch. In addition, I also liked the dynamic between Ho-jin and Mu-hee, they made sense to me as a romantic couple. But then something broke and I felt like they were both acting really stupid? I got the impression that they wanted to pull more episodes out of the series, so they couldn't put them together so soon so that the viewer wouldn't get bored. But I started to feel uncomfortable at times, how cruelly Ho-jin pushed her away from her. On the other hand, I liked Mu-hee's split personality line, but I just found Do Ra-mi to be really stubborn at times. I enjoyed it a lot, but I definitely preferred when Mu-hee was herself. I expected a little more from it, but I can't say I was bothered by it.

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I supposed to be happy when original plot was upgraded but...

I watched the original one last year and just realized there is another adaptation by Gong Fang Ni and Zhang Liren. The plot was quite upgraded and the duration way longer than original version but there is something wrong with this drama. The leads chemistry was none to be seen and they make it serious and losing the comedy aspect so the result FL in here were quite do anything without thinking about the consequence and end up looking careless. Oh they still add the violence part on mental inward for 30 minutes so viewer discretion is advised.

Okay the weakest point in this drama is unfortunately, Zhang Liren. He really not showing any attraction to FL and i found he was rather passive in anything making the ML character less interesting. I would like if they focused on romance, they could build up the relationship first but since there no chemistry, no spark and either comrades. It feels like stranger helping each other. Gong Fang Ni really tried liven up her character as FL but the dynamic between the leads are quite disjointed.

I don't want to spoiling too much there is big change on original version either you'll like if you're on romance or you will hate it since it defying logic..

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You're so annoying (⁠｡⁠♡⁠‿⁠♡⁠｡⁠)

The three words you most want to hear out of the mouth of someone you love.. "𝘠𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨"
That's the most romantic thing you can hear in the right context and this is that context.

Love Me If You Swear follows Tum, the leader of the Nuea-In gang who's been having a streak of rotten luck lately, topped off by the utmost embarrassment when his gang's insignia is stolen by the leader of their rival gang, Oh Pathumphaisan. Realizing that all this is a result of his unfulfilled vow which he took to become the gang leader, he sets off to visit 9 temples to erase his bad luck. But who else does he run into but Oh, who is also on the 9 temples circuit. Now the two of them reluctantly and somehow enthusiastically set off on this journey, and end up finding that maybe their "𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘮𝘺" isn't so bad after all.

Usually this is the kind of plot I'd expect 10 episodes for, one for each temple and a final one to resolve all plotlines, but I am so impressed by how well this was done within four episodes, without compromising on any aspects.

The plot and premise are impeccable, ergo, so is the writing. The 9 temples aren't forgotten in erstwhile, there's no sudden pivot into a plotline that doesn't belong. Of course, credit to it being just four episodes, but keeping it tight while also exploring character dynamics is not an easy job and it was brilliant.

Speaking of character dynamics, I know very few dramas where I love both the characters who irritate each other and that usually only happens because they don't have strange power dynamics and they have a lot of depth, as individuals or as a couple. Check on all of that here. Tum and Oh are both extremely complex characters with an equally layered relationship.

Their relationship is the majority of the story - how it develops from their initial meeting and I thought it was super well done. It was a little messy and a lot romantic, and huge props to Surf and Java. They were.. oof! That chemistry is going to keep me up at night, it was scary good.

But of course, to have a balanced drama, you need other aspects as well, and here it was comedy. You already know I loved it. Not just the scenes between Oh and Tum, but all the supporting characters as well. All the actors served, even the actors who had one dialogue! Very well done. My standout comedic performance was Louis though, he and Surf as Messy and Tum had such a cute friendship, I loved it.

Good story, romance, friendships, everything about this was perfect. I had such a great time watching it and this may find it's way onto my re-watch list. Where else will I find a scarily accurate representation of boys fighting? (Seriously, scary accurate, I could not stop laughing)

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I'll never see math the same again

GMMTV has officially made math sexy 😂 I'm SO glad they're still producing such pure hearted BL- teens love where they support each other in gaining confidence and in fulfilling their dreams. Not just among couple, but among friendship. I love the mathcamp concept where they learnt its not about beating each othher up - but you can have fun, enjoy your friendship and everyone is a winner in their own way. this is a great message to reinforce in youth, esp lot of gmmtv audience belongs to this category.

That "you can do it" math thingy? chef kiss! i'll never see math the same again

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Sadly Disappointing

I was really looking forward to seeing Seo In Guk in this drama, but I was so disappointed. The entire script felt quite lacking. The premise of the story had great potential but fell short for me. Other than the AI environment of the storyline which I'd rate a 10, this kdrama was painfully uneventful. It seemed as if the writers focused mainly on creating the AI feature with all its realism and features, and then ran out of steam. I couldn't help but notice that the color pink was featured prominently throughout wardrobe choices and set designs, perhaps as a nod to the main actress. While it's my favorite color, I wish that same effort could have gone into improving the script.

I did not feel any chemistry between the main leads, either. Even Seo In Guk's great looks were downplayed with nerdy glasses and frumpy hair, not to mention the lackluster nature of his character. I stuck with it to the end but, by episode 8, I was really struggling. For a Netflix production with a sizable budget and a lot of hype, I felt it overpromised and underdelivered. With that said, there is one great positive to this kdrama: the parade of hot actors who make guest appearances! If anything, stick around for that. Oh, and the hottie on the motorcycle 😁

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A masterful cinematic piece of ZQJ, ZLH and TXW

Is it good? It is like damn good,
Is it a masterpiece? gotta say it must be a masterpiece.
How is the cinematography? I can't say. It is FUCKINGLY good
How is the production/directing? Done at the best damn point

This is just a masterpiece, where you can't wait to see more episodes filling your screen. Is it the fight scene fucking good, the directing done exceptionally good, where you gotta search for that director (and I gotta say the director knows this work, doing this fucking damn good). The romance just doesn't dive into I fucking love you, it just slips in like gas into your screen, not fast paced, but got that right pacing you need for now.

Xie Zheng: WHY ARE YOU DAMN HANDSOME? Oh no you scenes get me killed, ain't gonna talk much. ZLH filled the screen with his cinematic gaze through the window, where you can't get enough of his face. That damn gaze at the bad guys, where it just wanna stop my heart (it actually stopped), what more can't he bring to my screen, is it His smiles at the Fang Chan Yu at her funny moments. Love His chopsticks where he just gotta stab your neck (WEAK HERO CLASS).

Fan Chang Yu: Just when we need a physically strong female lead on the screen, I'd go for this drama.
Your butchering scenes are too good, can't take my eyes off your screen
Tian Xi Wei just nailed it with this versatile role of a girly, gentle nature with our male lead, this badass girl with her butcher knife, were i got to say WHO IS THIS? Okay, I just recognized her, a funny character with her sister and family.
Isn't your cuteness and funny moments gonna make me die of laughter
YOUR CUTENESS OVERLOADS ME TO ACTUALLY DIE OF THIS CUTENESS

My special mention goes to HER YOUNGER SISTER, as I fell in love with the character . The script writer just did an amazing job writing this script

The chemistry is getting me fucking electrocuted slowly and slowly
The visuals are damn good, where you want to be inside the screen, the shots (close Shot, full shot, wide shot) are sooo good, where you want to be in that scene, the aesthetics are beautifully made, where you picture yourself in that scene.


A drama that you can't see in years. A highly must watch masterpiece where you could binge an episode and finish the rest in one sitting

A world-building master-class, highly profiled drama that brings you to another highly aesthetic world.

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women being there for women

this was a very good and funny drama.Focusing more on women , family, friendships and marriage. All from different backgrounds and upbringing they chose themselves first and how to be there for each other. their marriages were clumys different painful but they fought through some found true love some got to learn they don't need to be married to be happy and Haitang what a huge heart she had to accommodate such a husband who brings a woman home and she accepted those women as her sisters not sister wives what a woman. And my Zheng and Wei their journey was interesting what a sweet couple. 100000000/10 drama. worth the time

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writing this as a kdrama fan which i became way before i dived into kpop and blackpink

if u want to explore lots of genre's at once please give it a go its gonna be so worth it.
as someone who was once a binge watcher of almost every kdrama, but these days it was really hard to find one. first ep do keep me seated but then they dramas felt like they fell off hook. started watching as a jisoo fan but trust me, the whole story is so freaking interesting. the casting was of course one of the main reasons to keep someone seated. and then the colouring. it was really good too it felt so lively. and as i kept watching it felt like something that could actually happen in real life. some of it is already happening, how some women are using AI to feel closer to their favourite fictional characters. who knows when the use of VR might start as well. watched the first 2 ep at first then binge watched the rest of it. gotta say the story was superb and jisoo's acting has improved a lot. it felt like the character came to real life. and watching her experience dating her VR bf's it makes u wanna say ""wait we want more of their story"". as for me it happened with her 2nd date. please cast them together in a series with the exact same theme T-T. anyway if i try to say anything i might end up giving spoilers which i dont wanna do, i kept myself away from watching spoiler videos or edits and it was a really good decision.

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