Generation to Generation: Spoiler-Free Mini Review
- Jul 31
- 4 min read
Title: | Generation to Generation (2026) |
Platform: | WeTV, Youtube |
MDL Rating: | |
Genre: | Wuxia, Romance |
Episode Count: | 37 |
Parental Guidance Rating: | PG-13: The spewing of much blood, violence, general Wuxia mayhem. It was all very fake. |
Staring: | Zhou Yi Ran (Ashes to Crown) Bao Shang En (Never Ending Summer) Yia Cheng (Coroner's Diary) Fan Jing Yi (Unchained Love) |
RBTS Rating:  | 3/5 Stars (Generation to Generation is an.. uh.. unexpected feast for the eyes, that really leans into the zany with crazy costumes, terrible lighting, and remarkably bad editing. Despite this, some wisps of a great story still peak through, aided by a fantastic older generation of characters, and younger characters (and actors) who still have a long way to go). |
Synopsis:
Cai Zhao, a spirited girl fated to become a "witch," is forced to join the revered Qingque Sect, where she meets the withdrawn and paranoid Chang Ning, a survivor of a family massacre. As they grow closer amid the sect’s rigid structure, they uncover hidden dangers and long-buried secrets. With rising tensions between righteous and demonic factions, Chang Ning's true identity begins to unravel. @MDL
Stay Tuned: Full Review Still to Come!
Spoiler-Free Mini Review:
Was this really made by the man who directed The Double? How could Lu Hao Ji Ji betray me like this? But then I saw Rebirth and realized it could have been worse. What Happened here? Genuinely?
Because this was ROUGH. It had everything going for it. The drama is an adaptation of a webnovel written by Guan Xin Ze Luan, the author who bestowed The Story of Ming Lan and Love Like the Galaxy upon us undeserving common people, and I was so hyped that I even read the book. All 145 chapters! And it was great! The characters were clever, all the arcs were interesting, and the flow made it perfect for a drama. So why was I thus betrayed? The novel was so funny, action packed, and fun. The drama is the Temu version of that. It really leaned into the angst (because we all know that makes everything better.. said literally no one in the history of the world ever) and the editing was insane. The show starts off at the speed of light with name dropping and character introductions that zoom in as fast as the zoom out. If I hadn't read the novel previously, I would have been so confused.
Some Really Tragic Hair
The writing and overall production was a disaster. There are rumblings on the interwebs that the director allegedly bounced and had the assistant director film the drama, as he was overbooked filming Rebirth. Which was a disaster anyways, so what was it all for? Generation to Generation looks like it's filmed with an iPhone and the costume choices make me think they accidentally ordered too much bulk fabric. The costume designer really thought they were cooking (pun intended) with the battle aprons and the voluminous pants with all billowing excesses of material. But can you fight in that though? They all looked ridiculous, but then I remember this is the man who gave us Go Princess Go, and somehow this is less zany. I love me some whimsy, but sir. Collect yourself.
Battle aprons, bell bottoms and billowy sleeves that had me yelling at my TV for the characters to roll up their long sleeves
The drama isn't all bad; traces of the original story do shine through, but it could have been so much better. And the fact that I know that, just makes it worse! The narrative is genuinely interesting, especially when it intersects with the past. The drama is titled Generation to Generation because the story is about breaking generational cycles and letting go of inherited prejudice through a group of young cultivators who are coming to terms with the reality of who their heroes really are, while finding themselves in the process. They learn about the paths their parents took, but find their own unique way to live. The chemistry between leads was okay, and I actually liked Bao Shang En as the FL, which is a first. She had moments where she really captured the character, which felt noteworthy, but there was still nothing extraordinary there. On the flip side, this is my first time not liking Zhou Yi Ran's performance as a ML. After watching him in Ashes to Crown, I think he's not really suited to period dramas.
I also really appreciated that all of the women in the drama were portrayed as capable.
The best part of the show was Pingshu played by Wan Peng. What a queen. I wanted the whole drama to be about her lol. Li Yun Rui had a teeny tiny role that was basically a cameo (probably because he was acting in Rebirth AHHHHHH), but the two had great chemistry. I also loved Lord Song who stole every scene he was in. I can safely conclude that the older generation of characters were the most intriguing, though I did enjoy the younger generation's camaraderie. And I preferred the drama version of Song Yuzhi over the novel, so there are wins.
Do I recommend? I dunno, man. The book was so much better, but some of the story is better than none of the story? Get ready for some projectile blood spewing worthy of a Pollock painting, Michael Jackson Thriller Zombies, a high School Musical dance number (no, really), and some deeply insidious outfits. But there is a lot of heart, a puzzle of a mystery, and some good Wuxia moments.
The marketing material:
What we got (brb. Gonna go cry in a corner):
Why are they wearing aprons? Why are his sleeves so voluminous? Why is the lighting SO bad?
Story=3.5 (The story is good, but the first 6 eps were edited by someone who values brevity a little too much. I was engaged, but disappointed), Acting=3.5 (Fine. First time I've liked the acting of the actress who played FL and first time I didn't like the acting of the actor who played ML), Production Quality=1.5 (I demand an explanation. Also why the LOTR music and the Michael Jackson Thriller zombies?), Ending=3 (Why did this turn into high school musical at the end?), Enjoyability= 3.5, Would I rewatch= No idea. It will take me some time for my eyes to recover.
Trailer:
Director: Lu Hao Ji Ji (The Double, Rebirth, Moonlit Reunion)
Screenwriter: Shao Si Han (The Eternal Fragrance)
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