A Journey to Love

Almost perfect. Deserve to be called best cdrama of 2023

Romance, adventure, brotherhood, sisterhood, love in its many forms, all can be seen in this drama. I really liked that this story does not end when the leads got together but goes beyond and proved again and again that they really are the perfect match for each other. The characters make logical or at least understandable decisions, love is not their end all be all, except maybe for one character, but he moved on from that. My favorite side characters are Yanying and Yuan Lu. Yanying's arc in particular was so satisfying, her growth from a timid princess to an outstanding leader. Yuan Lu always brings freshness whenever he's in a scene. Another unforgettable character who gave me mixed feelings was Li Tongguang. I didn't like him and his shenanigans but he kept mesmerizing me and I keep rooting for his happy ending.

If you want a respite of the many love centric dramas then this one's for you.

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This drama really took a turn and left me speechless. I don't really know how to feel about this drama though, definitely not a show I would come back to watch but I did somewhat enjoy it. I was more interested in the dramas political side about An and Wu emperor, I found it really amusing and how everything happened, and what they would do to try to save him. The ending is a little upsetting for because it honestly doesn't really show any relevance to the story at all.

The fighting scenes, humor especially Yu Shishan, costuming were all superb. I really enjoyed watching a really strong female lead who is very bold, and I loved watching Yang Ying's character development. Li Tongguang's character was also very very interesting to me. I really want to know more of his story because he is so obsessive.

There are a lot of boring scenes in the show where it continues to depict the romance between Red Xin and Ning Yuanzhou but again it is a romance drama, I just wished they had cut a couple of those scenes out. The ending was something not really expected, personally the author could have made it a better ending than everyone just dying in the battlefield. It didn't make it really special because it common in a lot of other cdramas.

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the starting was great but...

I was really excided for this drama, and the drama was great for the first half. The female lead was actually badass, the story was good . The character development was also great.
But then they killed off 3 characters very suddenly in 1 episode,and in the next episode more died. the ending was super rushed and very unsatisfactory. The scene in the palace with therevealation (that the disabled prince is the villian) had absolutely no context and was very sudden with zero build up
That being said i still think that if the ending was better and they didnt kill more than half the people in the end it would have been a marvelous drama

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I really enjoyed this drama about a highly skilled female assassin who has mostly been alone, and a very intelligent leader who values his relationships with his subordinates above all else. The plot is well-developed and multilayered, and although I've watched very dramas in this genre of power struggles, political intrigue, and battling kingdoms, it didn't feel predictable or boring. Liu Shi Shi is fierce, elegant, and absolutely magnetic. Liu Yu Ning is solid; I've yet to see enough of his work but he holds his own here with Liu Shi Shi, which is not easy.

The biggest surprise for me was the humor and how much I loved the supporting characters. Ning Yuan Zhou's team of Yuan Lu, Sun Lang, Qian Zhao, and Yu Shisan are absolute treasures. (In the scene where they first assemble and walk out together surrounding Ning Yuan Zhou, I called them Journey's F4, haha.) Fang Yilun (Alen Fang) as Yu Shisan is this drama's biggest scene stealer--I've seen him in several other dramas and he's never been as memorable as he is here, even when he's played the lead. His comedic delivery is impeccable but he also nails the emotional scenes. Yang Ying has another memorable character arc, although I didn't completely vibe with He Lan Dou's portrayal. Chu Yue is another surprising gem of a character; another female character who bravely pursues what she wants and defies the expectation to simply become someone's wife.

My only gripe is that although every other character is well-developed, someone really dropped the ball on Li Tongguang. Li Tongguang is a central character in the drama, yet his character arc is constantly one step forward, three steps back. Just when you think he's finally overcome his obsession, he does WHAT??? It completely took me out of the story because it felt so out of place. His last story arc also made no sense?! Chang Hua Sen played the role well though and is certainly on my radar now.

As for the ending, I'm fine with it but perplexed by the character they decided to focus on in the final scene.

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A love story with more casualties than actual battles

The premise of a badass female assassin, coupled with an equally formidable leader of the opposing nation -- this is a rivals-turned-lovers plot that is right up my alley. Initially, their relationship was captivating, a passionate, even aggressive game of cat and mouse, with Ru Yi claiming Yuan Zhou as the father of her unborn children. Talk about brash and bold, with a not-subtle hint of non-consent. Why the writers decide to ruin such a character with this character flaw is beyond me, but I guess this is her shortcoming. Otherwise, Ren Ru Yi is unbeatable.  

For his part, Ning Yuan Zhou was supposedly indestructible as well, that is, until he succumbs to the offensive charms of Ru Yi. Trying to get away from a life in the court, did not last long as he had been called to task by the Prime Minister to go into basically a suicide mission. Because he had nothing better to do, Yuan Zhou complies and brings along his comrades who have been equally withering away due to the lack of exercise.  

We see all the pomp and circumstance of dressing all of them in dashing blue uniforms, so women (or perhaps men, too) can have their pick. The drama regales us with their backstories, so we all can be emotionally attached when they venture into enemy territory, because their unworthy king’s ass needed to be saved.  

Everything was going as well as it should, despite many setbacks. With a traitor, ten or more, an inexperienced prince, and a hidden assassin amongst them, it’s a miracle Wu’s delegation made it halfway without killing each other—internal conflict was inevitable.  

Meanwhile, we see that the State of An has their own unsavory characters, beginning with the Emperor and his unruly sideburns, and of course, the man-child Li Tong Guang who has an obsession with his master and with a curling iron. One would expect that seeing Ru Yi and Yuan Zhou’s affection so often would discourage him, but it only intensifies his anger. Like dude, you have zero chance. How many times should they tell you?  You want them to have sex in front of you? On second thought, Li Tong Guang might enjoy it. Scratch that.

While most of the secondary cast were adorable, there were some that were underutilized. For example, Chu Yue and her father; I really thought that they would be more prominent in the drama. Instead, the drama included insignificant quibbles of the An princes vying for the throne. The story would have benefited from a reduction of flashbacks about the dead Empress and more development of subsequent scenes.  

By the show’s halfway mark, I found Ru Yi and Yuan Zhou’s romance unconvincing; their willingness to leave their comrades while going on dates felt contrived. The most ridiculous part was the pair lip-locking on the battlefield as if death and destruction weren’t around them. Meanwhile, the soldier’s on the field: “Hey guys, it’s rude to kill them while they’re making kissy-faces, so let’s just leave them alone.” Duh!

The only character development that I admired was that of Yang Ying's. From a vulnerable princess seeking marriage to her childhood crush, she grew into a strategic and benevolent ruler, bravely facing her enemies while caring for her subjects.  

Because it was highly rated, I expected this drama to be amazing, which is a mistake on my part. It might have been better to watch the drama without preconceived notions. While I anticipated a casualty or two—Yuan Lu, whose illness meant he’d likely not live past 20, and potentially Sun Lang or Qian Zhao—on this journey. So many deaths happening in rapid sequence and so suddenly was completely unexpected. I prefer them all dying, or, failing that, at least Yi Shi San surviving to recount their heroic sacrifices to future generations. I think killing him off is the gravest sin of all.

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A gripping journey to love, friendship, and growth

From the very beginning, the dynamic between the male lead and female lead is powerful and captivating. They are truly “power couple” coded. Their relationship is not only about romance, but about partnership, loyalty, and mutual respect. They fight side by side, protect each other, and grow together. What I loved most is that they are lovers, but also trusted companions, and that balance is rare to see done this well.

The Liu Dao Hall gang brings so much life into the story. Their scenes mix humor with seriousness perfectly, making the drama engaging without breaking the tension. The supporting cast is strong overall. Some characters are louder and more memorable, while others are more low key, but none feel wasted. A few annoying characters appear, like Li Tong Guang, who is probably the most irritating one, but thankfully they never dominate the plot to the point of ruining the experience.

This was my first drama with Liu Yu Ning as a male lead, and he impressed me a lot. He carries both strength and emotional depth naturally. The entire cast performs well, but He Lan Dou as Princess Yang Ying deserves special praise. She completely immersed herself in the role. Unlike many cross dressed characters in C-dramas, she actually felt believable as a prince. Watching her grow from a timid, crying girl into a composed, calculating, and confident leader was refreshing and very well acted.

The female lead is the strongest presence in the drama. She is badass, intelligent, and independent. She does not need a man to save her. Ironically, she is the one who boldly chooses a man for her own purpose and ends up genuinely falling in love. Her strength never takes away from her emotions, and that balance makes her character very attractive to watch.

Ability-wise, we can say they're the the birds of a feather that flock together.

Equally strong and smart leads
Very mature and healthy relationship between the leads
COMEDY
Intense fight scenes
A group of likeable characters with their heartening/ inspirational relationship


The plot stays interesting from start to finish. There are several love stories happening, but romance never overshadows the main story. Loyalty is the core theme of this drama. Loyalty to one’s mission, companions, family, and love. Every character is driven by something meaningful, which makes their choices feel heavy and real.

Everything about this drama felt top notch to me, from the cinematography to the acting and character writing. Even the side characters and bit roles are handled with care. I watched this at the start of last year and waited a long time to write a review, but even after almost a year, I do not want to change my rating. For me, this is a near perfect drama.

It was also my first experience with a drama that has a sad ending, and surprisingly, it built my immunity for SE dramas. I still enjoyed every part of the journey without feeling betrayed by the story. The ending hurt, but it made sense emotionally, and that is why it stayed with me instead of disappointing me.

A Journey to You is not just about romance or action. It is about loyalty, growth, companionship, and choosing each other even when the world is cruel. It left a strong impression on me, and it is one of those dramas that you remember long after finishing.

Who Should Watch

Viewers who love strong, intelligent, independent female leads.
Those who enjoy power couple dynamics and partnership romance.
Fans of wuxia, political intrigue, found family, and loyalty driven stories.
People who appreciate layered characters and emotional storytelling.
Viewers who do not mind a meaningful sad ending.

Who Should Avoid

Those who only want fluffy, light romance.
Viewers who dislike tragic or bittersweet endings.
People who prefer simple plots with minimal politics or missions.
Anyone who needs romance to be the main focus rather than the story.

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A Journey to Love and Loss

A Journey to Love is a wuxia romance that will probably go down in history as one of the better dramas in the genre despite its controversial ending. After all, it has an engaging story, endearing characters, superb fight choreography, and a great balance of humor and drama with found-family tropes and heartwrenching emotional beats. I put off watching this for three years, knowing how divisive the ending is. But I finally gave in when I decided to go on a Liu Yuning drama binge. I have to say, I'm glad I did. The ending did indeed disappoint a little, but I'm getting ahead of myself.

The story starts off with Ren Ruyi, an elusive and enigmatic spy/assassin set on revenge and determined to unleash hell on those responsible for her demise. By chance, she meets Ning Yuan Zhou, a former rival and the indomitable chief of an opposing organization, and perhaps the only one who could best her in a one-on-one face-off. She finds herself going on a critical diplomatic mission with him and his chosen team of elite warriors to accompany a timid princess for the sake of a kingdom. Not gonna lie, this plot reminded me somewhat of Star Wars and that's one of the reasons I was drawn to it. But it proved to be so much more! It has two of the best-written female leads I've seen in a while and one of the best performances from Liu Yuning.

Princess Yang Ying and Ren Ruyi represent two types of strong female characters, one is a seemingly weak political pawn who learns to take control of her own life, and the other is a fearless warrior who shows vulnerability, and admits her loneliness and desire to rely on others. I rarely see that in C-dramas or in any medium these days. It's always the badass Mary Sue who is basically a woman written with male characteristics or the damsel in distress waiting to be saved. Yang Ying's character development is the best I've seen to date. She grows from being the frightened princess that everyone bullies into a powerful leader and strategist. He Lan Dou is a revelation to me in this role. I certainly would want to see her in another project again.

Ruyi, on the other hand, may have the prowess of a male character, but she keeps her undeniably feminine charms, and displays weakness and emotional turmoil. She realizes that she's not indestructible and has to depend on others in times of distress. Liu Shishi is brilliant as the best assassin of the Crimson Guard. She absolutely sells the badassery of the character and she does look like a true martial artist, reminding me of Michelle Yeoh when she was younger. Her relationship with Ning Yuan Zhou is the foundation of this drama. Similarly, Yuan Zhou is an interesting well-fleshed out character. Despite his obvious masculinity and dominance, he is not the least bit misogynistic like most men of his time. He is not embarrassed to be bested by a woman or follow her orders because he judges people based on their characters and capabilities, not their gender or station. He is, in all sense of the term, a good man. As Ruyi states in one scene, there is only one Ning Yuan Zhou, a truly rare gem, and a feminist at that, among manly men of that era. And Liu Yuning shines in this role. No wonder this is considered his breakthrough performance that garnered him acting awards and critical acclaim as an actor.

But the real draw of this drama to me is the found-family trope, and the boys of Six Realms Hall completely endeared themselves to me. Fang Yi Lun, who kinda looks like a cross between Hyun Bin and Yamapi, is the standout for sure! He almost steals this show from Yuning... almost. He is so adorably flamboyant that I just couldn't help but love him. I had to rack my brain to remember where I've seen him before, later realizing that I first saw him in The Longest Promise. Chen You Wei as Yuan Lu is my second favorite among the bunch. His chemistry with He Lan Dou half carried the show for me. They were my ship!

The production in this drama is not particularly outstanding, but the fight choreography is impressive. I don't see these kinds of fight scenes in wuxia dramas anymore. These days, they rely too heavily on special effects that wuxia dramas feel more like video games than the ones I used to watch as a kid. I'm not overly fond of this change. Although I did notice that in some scenes, Yuning was moving strangely due to the injury he suffered while shooting the series, it didn't hinder me from enjoying the drama.

The music is one of its strong suits. I can still hear the cool Ren Xin/Ruyi theme playing in my head even as I write this review. And of course the songs from Yuning and Jason Zhang are now included in my C-music playlist.

But as all war stories go, this does not end well. Personally, I don't mind the tragic ending. I actually like that there are real stakes involved and no plot armors for the main cast. This was a suicide mission from the start and they knew it. My complaint is not how it ends but how they come to that conclusion. The last few episodes felt like they were written by a different screenwriter. It's as if the original writer left them in a lurch and someone had to take over and quickly end the drama. The narrative style changed as well as the pacing like there were key scenes missing but were purposely taken out to meet the 40-episode limit. And that ambiguous dream sequence-ish ending seemed totally out of place. Just tell us they died and became heroes! Period. If they really wanted to go that route, then at least put the right characters in that scene not Chu Yue who barely knew the main characters except Yu Shi San, and wasn't even introduced to the story until much later. They could've at least chosen to show Princess Yang Ying and Li Tong Guang with the boy. The dream could've been a symbolic passing of the torch from masters to their pupils. That last scene was just off no matter how hard they tried to make it emotional. That was NOT it! The drama would've been one of the best C-dramas ever made if they had only managed to stick the landing. But even so, I would still consider this an accomplishment. As a whole, it is still a great watch and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good wuxia drama with compelling characters.

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Comedy, Brotherhood, Romance, Bittersweet | Excellent Drama

I absolutely adore AJTL, from cinematography to acting and every detail in between. The meticulously choreographed fight scenes, and even the CGI, elevate the series as a whole. As someone who’s usually quite picky with C-dramas (honestly, they can be draggy and occasionally cringey), AJTL is a rare exception. I was completely engrossed in every episode, never once feeling the urge to skip a “boring” moment. That alone speaks volumes about its quality.

The onscreen chemistry between LSS and LYN is undeniable, and visually, they’re such a striking pair. I don’t understand why some people think LYN is unattractive or unworthy of acting alongside LSS. On the contrary, I find him to be the perfect match. His styling is impeccable, it complements his presence beautifully, and his fight scenes flow with a natural ease, free of awkwardness. AJTL has truly captured my heart. ♡

The cast as a whole is phenomenal, especially the LDT squad plus YY! Their dynamic is hilarious, and watching the princess grow from beginning to end is incredibly heartwarming. That said, I do wish we gotten more scenes with LTG and YY. I also can’t stop praising the LDT crew, they completely steal the spotlight, especially when they tease NYZ or YSS. Whenever they are together, it’s nonstop laughter, and I’ve grown so attached to them that the thought of them eventually parting ways genuinely hurts.

The final six episodes were especially difficult to watch, packed with sorrow and heartbreak. Some people argue that killing off so many main characters was unnecessary. Maybe yes, maybe no. But when you really look at it, the choices make sense. NYZ was already suffering from unstable inner force and fully understood the risks when he chose to return to An state to find YY and RRY. Once he's dead, it felt inevitable that RRY would follow, her happiness had always been tied to him.

As for QZ and SL, their deaths in battle were tragic but expected, given the overwhelming odds against Pan’s army. YL and YSS’s deaths may feel sudden to some viewers, but they’re entirely in line with their characters. YL’s poor health was emphasized throughout the story. After exhausting two horses, choosing to run without rest while knowing YSS was still fighting sealed his fate the moment he reached his destination. And YSS, he would never abandon his comrades, even if survival were possible with CY. It was long implied that if NYZ fell in battle, YSS would complete the mission and then follow him. That was the path they chose, to fight alongside NYZ and face whatever end awaited them. And that, ultimately, is the essence of AJTL.

However, the ending felt a bit strange to me. I still don’t understand why CY was the one who looked back instead of YY. YY spent far more time with the group, and the entire journey revolved around escorting her to save the king, so that choice just didn’t make sense to me.

Other than that, the drama is a solid 10/10.

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Ever watched a C-Thriller?

Forget C-Drama, this was a C-Thriller. I’m lost for words with those last 10 – 12 episodes. It was full of ups and downs, deaths all over, it was crazy. The writer literally went rampant in an attempt to kill all actors. Well, at least the crew survived and delivered this fabulous act. I honestly couldn’t tell you if this was out-of-the-box unorthodox writing or a rushed end because this drama seemed to overdo certain things but then later there seemed to be the acknowledgment of, We know what we’re doing.
Quite admittedly those first episodes were a bit underwhelming, and I felt that some scenes were just a bit over the top especially with the guards taking their tops off to impress the FL, that was unnecessary I thought because the message had been put across that FL was gorgeous, it was unnecessary to make it that apparent. My highlight of this drama was the first 4 episodes and the last 12 and I think it was for many of the viewers. It would be best if you watched to fathom what I’m talking about.
I liked the development of all the characters in the drama namely the princess/prince, everyone grows into their persona to become these selfless people and I’ve to give the writer and all the involved crew their flowers. Recently we’ve seen many dramas that’re let down by the production team or the writers, in other words, there’s no coherence between the way the writer envisages their content and the ability of the actors and production. In a year of crap dramas, at least this hasn’t been a letdown.
This drama had as many plot twists as a roller coaster riding through a twisting labyrinth. My goodness and then the music just slotted in perfectly. As I said what I enjoyed most was the growth of all the characters and maybe some other things like the CGI, and voices, came in secondarily. I even didn’t feel bad following the deaths of basically all the main actors, that’s how good this drama was and kudos to all the involved staff, you’ve rescued the year to some extent.
I think this goes on to show what these writers are capable of if they indulge in some not-so-stereotypical writing and think outside the box, not just copying each other’s work and using different actors for the same old storylines. I encourage more dramas like this where I do not necessarily have to guess what’s happening at the end. It’s gotten boring.

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Tissues. You need tissues.

After watching TPOB, I immediately jumped into this one and oh my god. Those were the exact words that came out of my mouth the moment I saw Ren Ru Yi. She has that aura and composure we love a badass woman.

I loved how her character gradually opened up to Yuan Zhou. And seriously, what’s with Liu Yuning and his insane chemistry with all his female leads? He never misses.

But oh boy, the last five episodes shattered me into pieces. I had already seen the spoilers, but that didn’t stop me from bawling my eyes out at 2 a.m. I guess even fairytales can have tragic endings.

P.S. I’ve rewatched this so many times, and I still cry every single time.

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