On Children (Chinese: 你的孩子不是你的孩子; lit. 'Your Child is not Your Child') is a 2018 ten-part Mandarin-language TV series, directed by Chen Wei-ling and starring Troy Liu, Wang Yu-xuan, and Hsin-Yu Ling, based on the novel by Wu Xiaole. The plots are in anthology form with five different stories told in a world where individuals face the tragic consequences of social pressure, parental oppression and family dysfunction.[1][2][3]
Shu-Li discovers her son, Pei-Wei, forged his report cards and refuses to let him go on his middle school graduation trip. One night, a man sells her a remote control that allows her to rewind Pei-Wei's life, which she uses both to help him repeat his studies and to punish him. Pei-Wei realizes he is in a time loop but is forced to obey Shu-Li's demands. When she forces him into cram school, he begins dating Cheng Fang-Lan, who inspires him to pursue art instead of academics. Shu-Li finds out about them and urges Pei-Wei to break up with her, but when he refuses, she uses the remote to erase her memories of him. Pei-Wei's mental health deteriorates, and several years later, his life is still being controlled by Shu-Li even as an adult. While she is away, Pei-Wei breaks into her safe for the remote. As he confronts her, he is hit by a truck.
In a government-controlled society, women give birth by artificial insemination to produce perfect children that are raised as wealthy elites; however, if their grades drop, they are forced to move to the slums. Yang Chuan, an elite author, hopes to raise her daughter, Nova, as a star pupil much like her late son, Ruo-Jie; however, Nova's grades begin declining. Fearing that she may lose her lifestyle and reputation, Chuan instructs Nova to pretend she has ADHD. Nova later learns from Ling-Na, a rebel, that the students diagnosed with mental disorders are deemed "faulty" and are sent to the advancement program to be executed, while their mothers are allowed to keep their status. She also learns that Ruo-Jie had committed suicide when Chuan refused to support his dreams of being a carpenter. Nova is invited to live with the survivors, but instead she returns home out of guilt for disobeying Chuan. Later that night, Nova is executed at the advancement program after Chuan drugs her dinner. The survivors are also arrested by the government and executed. Chuan then prepares for her third child, in spite of warnings from Ling-Na that the cycle will repeat.
