Reviews

A Beautiful Journey Through Time and Emotion

Love Upon a Time finally graces our screens after years of delays and production challenges, a true testament to the resilience and dedication of everyone involved. While the concept of time-traveling to a historical period isn’t entirely new, the drama breathes fresh life into a familiar plot with its comforting story of eternal love and sacrificial devotion—a perfect escape from the real world.

The first episode is a masterclass in storytelling. The time-travel sequence is fully covered, yet the narrative never feels rushed or boring; instead, it flows naturally, keeping viewers engaged from start to finish. The cinematography is breathtaking, making every historical set and costume detail feel rich and immersive, reflecting the team’s meticulous attention to each character’s nuances.

The cast delivers remarkable performances. JJ, in his first major drama, impresses with his emotional depth and screen presence, effortlessly pulling viewers into his character’s journey. Net shines brilliantly despite limited screen time, hinting at the layers of story to come. KimLatte adds charm and warmth, rounding out a stellar ensemble that brings the script to life.

The original soundtrack is subtle yet evocative, perfectly complementing the emotional beats and enhancing the period setting. With its captivating performances, thoughtful storytelling, and visual richness, Love Upon a Time is a drama with high rewatch value, inviting viewers to immerse themselves again and again in its world of timeless romance.

It’s a first episode that promises so much more to come, making it clear that this is a series crafted with love, care, and an unwavering belief in the magic of storytelling.

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Not a must-watch for me

With how highly this drama was praised and the genres listed, I might have had the wrong expectations going into this.

But let's start with the good parts first:
🟢 Lee Dong Wok as Jeong Jinman was so good. Love his acting, love the characters he plays and love how he's never stupid but still human in his mistakes.
Oddly enough, this is the drama where I finally understand why people consider Lee Dong Wok a good actor. Despite this probably being his most stone-face role I have seen him in, his eyes speak volumes. And I love acting that's heavy on tiny expressions, especially around the eyes.
The very good acting also had a huge effect on my investment into the characters. I genuinely cared for them and hoped for them to either die or make it.
The story itself isn't overly complex, but not too simple either, with multiple strings coming together in one place.
Considering the genre, there's very few plot armor, plotholes or stupid mistakes.
Lastly, I should mention the great OST. Listening to it as a standalone, some tracks made me feel physically uncomfortable while others felt warm and homey. Someone really did their job in setting mood and atmosphere.

🟠 Now here's the things where opinions might differ:
First and foremost: Why did I have to wait for rainy days to watch this in order to actually see what's happening on my screen? Why is everything so damn dark?
Regarding the characters, Jeong Jian was well-crafted, considering she didn't know what she got into. A tad more badassery would have been neat at times though. Some more connections between what her uncle taught her and how she employed it would have helped in that regard while also emphasising the drama's main theme.
Side characters were very stringently written and had clear roles, but their impact on what was happening never went beyond their scope for the plot.

🔴 My biggest issue with this drama though was the patience it needed and the in comparison low payoff. There's very few action scenes in the first couple episodes and while as the viewer I knew what was going on very quickly, I was forced to wait for the characters to figure it out at their own pace.
Througout the drama, scenes are presented from different perspectives which often felt like stalling. Some add-ons were nice and contributed to context and suspension, often enhancing emotional investment in side characters, while others didn't add enough to be worth my time. For an action drama this had a whole lot of talking, plotting and waiting.
The whole anachronical way of storytelling was totally not my cup of tea. Ending the episodes on a thrilling cliffhanger and then starting off the next in an entirely different timeline works wonders in unengaging me over and over again.
Once I got immersed into the new scenery, it was easily engaging and I did binge this in just a couple days. But being thrown off over and over when I was impatiently waiting for things to go sideways was painful to watch. I love my plot to be in order.

The final slightly off aftertaste was enhanced by the ending. Not only was it rushed, the only reason why I kept watching got totally left untouched. Very dissatisfying. I had rather not watched scenes on repeat and get a more detailed ending than spending so much time on things I could easily figure out myself. Although plot over characters might be a personal preference, just ten more minutes would have worked wonders in making the ending less abrupt and actually providing emotional satisfaction.

Overall, my expectations were a tad off which didn't help the watching experience. This mixture of action, gore and plot was strange and unexpected. I don't recommend eating while watching though, you'll end up glued to your screen forgetting about food anyways.
It's a good drama. If you have good patience. I think I ordered mine from Wish.

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I Hope for Nothing, I Fear Nothing, I am Free

What a beautiful and lighthearted show! It's very easy to enjoy this show. This show is about three women in their 30s with a big personality difference: one is grumpy, one is somewhat dumb, and one is a workaholic. They all had their own problems. However drinking was always a solution for them as they said: "I drink when I'm happy, I drink when I'm sad, I drink when my friend's happy, I drink when my friend's sad."

This show is able to cover multiple issues at one time including, workplace harrassment, sexual harrassment, over-controlling parents, grievance, LGBT, woman empowerment, and many more. It's also surprisingly succeed to stir the audience's emotion: from anger to joy to sadness. Some topics are heavy, some are funny, and others are heartwarming. First two episodes are heavy so you might need to hang on, and episodes 9-10 are extremely sad. The comedy is written in the absurd-ish style (similar style to Be Melodramatic). It's hilarious and enjoyable. It also highlights the beauty of friendship. What an amazing storywriting.

The main actresses successfully carried out the job to be the three women in the spotlight. Since this show is quite short, they sacrificed the backstory of characters. They actually had each, but it wasn't really deep. However, I don't see it as a big problem.

It's a great heartwarming show to watch. Also it's good to revisit this since it's quite lightweight.

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Long lasting love story

I went looking for the work the ML had done and stumbled on this, yeah, it invokes the teary side of anyone with a heart, but I went in to watch after reading some very misleading review here on MDL . First of all, NOT EVERYONE DIED! You need to watch it with some sense of understanding of the circumstances like who the ML and FL were acting as and why was they plunged himself into those jobs.

POSITIVE SIDES (in my opinion)
The story was well laid out, ML, FL and all supporting cast did a good job portraying what they were meant to. They draw you in as you watch. The soundtrack is awesome.

You learn a lot about how some situations you aren't faced with daily are tackled. Found myself googling a lot as I watched. hehe.

I love the way the FL and ML cared for each other, and the rest of the world didn't matter to them. The FL's mom was a really strong personality, that is impressive. As for the FL's dad and his "universe" that was an odd situation for the FL and I understood how weird she felt when she visited them.
the ML's dad was quite understanding and a welcome safe haven.

Benjamin had the most fluent spoken English in the series; the ML also had some good English. I had no problems with switching between languages. if you are watching the subtitled versions, ignore the subtitles when they speak English or sing the songs.

The ML did an awesome job portraying the effects of deep rooted PTSD and if you ignore treatments it would spiral into something that you dont have any control over.

NEGATIVE SIDES (in my opinion)
The war scenarios... How do you send people on a mission with scanty soldiers on a mission, how do you add a volunteer with no prior training in the army, but some "physical fitness" to join a team and handle bombs and landmines? That part didn't make sense to me.

Now, to what I didn't like the most, the FL role was just an annoying, highly stubborn and stiff person. I forgot to say selfish.. yeah, she is really selfish. But I guess that is how human nature is, we tend to think of ourselves before others. SHE was no medical professional so taking the ML to the hospital when SHE felt it was okay was nonsense. The doctor who should have insisted on a better pathway for how things should be done came across as unprofessional to me.

Chemistry between ML and FL felt off; I didn't see her connecting with him, and it felt one-sided.

The ML was on a self destructive path that kept me puzzled all through.

The white olive part at the end was vague...note to all of you watchers...A White Olive tree takes 15+ years to grow so the end of the series will be clearer to you when you see that part.

OVERALL:
Should you watch this series? Absolutely
Should you guard your heart when you watch this? yes, it will help you get to the end.

They did a fairly good job. Enjoy!

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One of the Best BLs I've ever seen and it's not even Done yet.

Though we’re only three episodes in, this is already shaping up to be one of the best BLs of the year, and it has the potential to be one of the best overall.

What really sets it apart is that it doesn’t focus on the journey to a happy ending, but what comes after it. Pobmek and Solar are already a stable, loving couple and both work as teachers, though Pobmek struggles more with the role. Their relationship is put to the test when Solar is involved in an accident and begins experiencing age regression, sometimes waking up as himself and other times as his 7-year-old self, Sun.

From there, the story becomes about how they navigate this new reality together. One of the most compelling aspects so far is how it handles boundaries and respect, not as something that limits love, but as something that deepens it. Even in a relationship that is already secure, they choose patience. They choose restraint. They choose not to rush the healing process, even when it is painful, even when it would be less painful for one of them to just force the process. There is something incredibly moving in watching two people love each other enough to let recovery take the time it needs, no matter how difficult that waiting can be.

At the same time, we are given glimpses of how their love first began through flashbacks, and it adds such a beautiful contrast to the present. Their relationship was never built on chaos or unnecessary drama, but on something much quieter. It is a love shaped by communication, by longing, and by a kind of gentleness that feels rare. Watching where they started makes what they have now feel even more meaningful.

It also touches on something just as important, the courage it takes to ask for help. Even in the strongest relationships, there are moments where love alone cannot carry everything, and recognizing that is not a failure, but an act of trust.

Alongside that, they are also trying to understand the trauma behind what is happening, which adds another emotional layer to the story.

It’s a refreshing and grounded take on an established relationship, and so far, it balances emotional weight with softer, deeply human moments beautifully. This is absolutely a must-watch.

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I've rewatched this series 17 times!

I absolutely loved this series! I’m usually not a fan of shows with multiple couples because, in my opinion, it often means that none of the relationships are explored deeply enough. But *Perfect 10 Liners* really surprised me in the best way.
Not only did it manage to keep me emotionally invested, but it also became a great way for me to discover new BL couples. I especially enjoyed getting to know PerthSanta and JuniorMark, they really caught my attention.
I had already followed some of ForceBook’s previous projects, so it was nice to see them again, but this series made me appreciate a wider range of pairings and performances. Overall, it turned out to be a much more engaging and satisfying experience than I expected.

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Something of a fable, or a morality tale, with its sparse story and characters who represent values - all the virtues belong to one king, all the vices to another. War, ego, governance, expenditure and how women are treated all have their moments in this.

Jaunty, jovial western music as the soundtrack seems an odd choice for going off to war from today's point of view. The pieces do bring energy to their scenes, a different way of accomplishing with a few cameras what takes many (and a lot of editing) today. I kept thinking the extras must have had fun filming this, with all the running around and shouting.

Moments of surprising humour some of which were clearly intentional, like that song quote.

How much history is in this? There were several rulers given the epithet "King of the White Elephant". It's located to a specific year (1540 CE), king (Chatra) and cities (Ayodhya and Kanburi), but the flattening of the two kings into vice and virtue complicates that. Is it fair to read an undercurrent of chauvinistic nationalism into that binary? Residual (maybe even nurtured) trauma from Burmese invasions still lingering, more recent anxieties and difficulties finding their way out through this, or simply fodder for this and other movies? The King of Ayutthaya in 1540 was not all virtue en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chairachathirat

Or was 1540 easy, because it was a tidy 400 years earlier? Long enough ago to become part of malleable mythic memory.

I have so many questions =D

Available on Thai PBS and Film Archive Thailand's YT

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THE PLOT

I haven't read the novel, so I have no idea how this story will end and honestly, that's what I love the most about it. There's something so exciting about not being able to predict anything. Usually, by the third episode, you already have a sense of where the story is going or how it might end, but this series keeps me guessing in the best way possible.
I really enjoy the flashbacks to their college days, they add so much depth and emotion, helping me understand who the characters were and how they've changed over time. It makes everything feel more real and meaningful.
So far, Pobmek's character has been explored more deeply, and I've grown really interested in him. But I'm especially curious about Solar/Sun, I can't wait to learn more about his story and see what he's been through.

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Fun watch but not as well-rounded as I would've liked

This review is a bit more critical of the c-drama's character-choices and plot mostly, so beware.

I thoroughly enjoyed some parts of the series and liked a few characters (i.e., Lingbo, Lingbo's mother, Yuzhi- although his character was slightly bland-, and Cai Zhao's initial character)

Generation to Generation started off as a very promising c-drama: a light-hearted, ambitious girl comes across a mysterious angsty boy who has just lost his father and they team up to defeat the antagonists. I loved their dynamic and characterisation until about the 12th episode mark, where it was revealed Chang Ning was Mu Qingyan. After this transition, the male lead lost much of what made him unique, and he turned into another one of those typical, powerful, possessive Wuxia male leads. His loss and revenge arc was unfortunately thrown out in favour of the romance story, which also seemed promising as first, but then just deteriorated later on. I loved their initial interactions, the way that Mu Qingyan was closed off at first, and Cai Zhao kept penetrating his social barrier, kept forcing him to confront the world. I especially loved the scene in the garden, where she tells himthat she will protect him- it really felt like there was true, human emotion there.

But then... of course, after Chang Ning --> Mu Qingyan, both the main characters were constantly restricted by each other. We never got to see Cai Zhao become the amazing leader she could've been because of Mu Qingyan's forcing her to stay with him and we never got to see Mu Qingyan conquer his own demons because he was constantly obsessed with Cai Zhao. We only saw this kind of toxic back and forth, cat and mouse game.

In regards to the plot, the first twenty or so episodes solely dealt with the Jianghu side of things- the Ziwei method, the man in black, the jade sunflower, etc. I had no problem with this plot, it was pretty well done, but then it just halted after Cai Zhao and Mu Qingyan's romance took the spotlight. This felt very weird and I feel that the writers should have just continued the way they were going instead of trying to exaggerate their love story. They should've kept the love-story in the background. By the way, it wasn't even better than what the original plot was doing: it was literally just Cai Zhao trying to run away from Mu Qingyan and the latter always pulling her back. This would've been an okay, albeit toxic and dark, shift, but there was no self-awareness of the fact that Mu Qingyan was literally evil for not leaving Cai Zhao when she was forced to choose between him and her sect, family, and friends. To me, it just proved that he didn't love her enough to genuinely think about her feelings and her life, and more-so wanted to possess her like an object. The male lead was idealised for this behaviour and we were being conditioned into accepting that he truly loves her, which is the BIGGEST issue with this. I'm all for dramas that deal with toxic relationships, broken people, imperfect leads, etc, only not when said toxic relationships and behaviour is idealised and looked upon as perfection. Characters are supposed to be messy, yes, they're supposed to be flawed, but the way Mu Qingyan was flawed was not at all helping his character or raising awareness.

The rest of the characters were mostly fine, I just would've liked to see more development- Lingbo goes through a pretty solid development arc, she became exactly what I envisioned her character to be in the end. Yuzhi was also a good character (more tolerable than the male lead), but I wish the writers could've made his character face more internal conflict and tension than just admitting his feelings for Cai Zhao. Like perhaps there could've been some grey area for him to deal with in regards to his brother and the heir of his sect.

I also wanted to discuss the camera-work and editing real quick. The way scenes were shot, cut, edited, the way that the characters and their emotions were displayed through camerawork could've been better, and the reason why I'm mentioning this is because I feel that it had an important role in allowing the audience to connect with the characters. There were some scenes where I wished the camera-angle, or the opening shot, or the focus on certain aspects of the set, would've been a little different, just so I could see the actors' emotions, and consequently, feel what they were feeling. But it was just slightly lack-lustre and did affect the overall watching-experience.

In terms of re-watch value, I would stick to a one-time watch only. Perhaps, one day, I may go back and rewatch only the first ten or so episodes and pretend that Cai Zhao and Mu Qingyan's story ended differently to how it did, but not anytime soon.

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