A Lonely Hero’s Journey

Strong on character but short on plot.

A Lonely Hero's Journey is about a young man's brave and lonely resistance to Japanese occupation. It is set in Suzhuo in 1941, just four years before Japanese forces withdrew from China. At the time, Suzhuo was administered by the Wang Puppet Regime; which was formed by a faction of the KMT that defected to the Japanese. The Wang Regime called themselves peace seekers and didn't have much authority but are regarded as traitors in history. While Suzhou was not the epicenter of resistance against the Japanese, it is a gorgeous and culturally significant historical city in China. This drama highlights the scenery, architecture and culture of Suzhou, including authentic famous Suzhou ballads. Its not your typical highly trained spy vs spy espionage story but rather about the defiance of ordinary people.

Gu Yizhong is a Western educated architect and the young master of the prominent and patriotic Gu family in Suzhou. On a rescue operation went awry, he gets framed as a Japanese traitor and is isolated and condemned by friends and family. He infiltrates the Suzhuo Secret Service station run by Zhou Zhifei to find out who the real traitor Cell 8 is. Zhifei of course knows who the real Cell 8 is and doesn't trust him for one moment. Zhifei and Yizhong are parallel characters that at a high level, share a common hatred for the Japanese. As individuals they are pushed to make difficult choices at pivotal moments of their lives. To survive they both have to be flexible; sacrificing a father, or a a son and their first love. Somewhere along the way Zhifei lost himself and became corrupt whereas Yizhong manages to hold on to his beliefs. In Yizhong, Zhifei sees the better man that he could have been but is not. In the guise of a mentor, Zifei goes after him like he is exorcising a ghost; destroying all that Yizhong values to bring about his moral downfall. Zhang Songwen is compelling as this selfish, dark and diabolical character, who occasionally allows glimpses of his lost humanity to shine through in his dealings with the two women he loves, his son and his mentor Mr Li.

This drama is very well cast and in addition to Zhang Songwen, is anchored by impressive portrayals by veteran actors Zhang Fengyi and Zhang Yao. In fact I think Zhang Fengyi's Gu Xixing stole the show. The drama starts to go downhill when Xixing exits and completely falls apart after Ou Xinping exits. The younger cast also delivers credible performances against the older actors. At times, Zeng Shunxi's portrayal lacks intensity and could be nuanced with inner conflict when it comes to how he feels about Haimo and Ruotong. Instead, he gives us nothing there so the way they ended left me scratching my head.

One of the best features of this story is how strong all of the women are in their own ways. Ou Xinping is not just a survivor, she is a killer with immovable convictions. Zhang Haimo is cool headed and calm, someone who is motivated by personal connections and loyalty rather than ideology. Unfortunately Haimo's character is destroyed after her walk away is walked back almost as an after thought to try to salvage the shipwreck of a storyline. This is Chen Duling's best role to date and I must commend her effort in even matching the lip movements of the very hard to sing Suzhou ballads. At sharp contrast is the passionate Xiao Ruotong who is far more emotional and willing to sacrifice for her ideals. Wang Yuwen's acting feels very genuine, evoking a moving picture of a young girl somewhat overwhelmed by the tide of history.

Despite wholehearted performances from the cast, this drama is strong on character but short on plot. The plot arcs lack logic and don't hold up well against close scrutiny. It is debatable whether Yizhong needed to make such immense sacrifices to isolate himself as a lonely boat that infiltrates the Suzou Bureau. His codename 孤舟/Gū Zhōu or Lonely Boat is too close a homonym to his surname Gù/顾 he may as well advertise that he is the CPC spy. The identity of Cell 8 is too obvious, diminishing the sense of suspense and is uncovered without much help from him. I was ready to fling my wine at the TV when the enemy simply allows Yizhong to walk away with the only key piece of military intelligence he obtained because he shamed his country for occupying China! After Japan lost WW2, it was absurd that Zhifei still stuck around simply to try to frame Yizhong rather than fleeing like the rat he is. But I guess in these kinds of stories the bad guy doesn't get to sail off into the sunset with his ill gotten gains. This is one of those dramas that can only be enjoyed if you watch the character stories and completely turn off your brain when it comes to the plot.

Even though this starts well and the acting is good, it starts going downhill just before the halfway point. I can only recommend watching this if you are a fan of any of the main actors or if you are interested in Suzhou culture. If not, there are too many better Republican spy dramas out there with tight and suspenseful plots. My overall rating 6.5/10.0.

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Enjoyable if you are into any of the actors, Suzhou aesthetics and dynamic characters

I'll get the negatives out first
1. Show has choppy editing and transitions sometimes, some parts feel hasty and rushed for no reason
2. Plot is sloppy and the spy parts sometimes feels only a little bit better than child's play
3. Xiao Ruotong's character feels way too weepy and all over the place for someone with her responsibilities, sometimes.

Good things
1. Really enjoyable acting from everyone of the veteran cast, and Zeng Shunxi and Chen Duling also gave compelling performances.
2. Chen Duling's character felt like a very good example of how a woman can be physically weak, not skilled/knowledgeable/involved in the ML's line of work, but can still be strong-willed and an active participant of the storyline.
3. A beautiful visual feast of Suzhou architecture, Ming-Qing style furniture and elegant qipaos and suits.
4. As expected of a WW2 freedom struggle drama, it was very dark and brutal at times, but somehow not oppressively so like I found some other big shows about this era were: for example The Disguiser, which was like 5x ahead of A Lonely Hero's Journey in lots of aspects but I found it VERY difficult to root for the characters there and enter their headspace/relate to their povs. That didn't happen here. Most of the characters were pretty likeable to me in their own ways, even though they all stood on different spots of the morality spectrum. Which leads to my next point:

5. Huge kudos for making 90% characters so 3D regardless of their alliances. This show had baddies, traitors, opportunists who were treated empathetically nonetheless, and also the people on the "good" side who were not all that likeable all the time. If you see people spouting that Cdramas always have clear cut black and white censored portrayals of stories that take place in sensitive historical time periods, that they bend over their back to ensure the audience wouldn't root for the characters in the wrong side, just slap a show like this in their face. And this show isn't even the best China has to offer in this genre but it still has this basic quality.

Bonus:
This really beautiful old gramophone song
"Teach Me How Not to Think of Her (教我如何不想她) by 赵元任 (Zhao Yuanren)" was used in the bgm, and it made for a haunting, immersive experience of that time period's atmosphere. Even if you don't watch the show I HIGHLY rec you at least look that song up on youtube. The drama used two versions of the song, the og and a softer, modern cover by Zeng Shunxi.

And lastly, if you are a DMBJ fan, you'd especially enjoy seeing ZSX, who played the DMBJ hero Wu Xie before, flaunting architecture knowledge and going through a "curious and energetic youth to broken down and steel-willed" arc 🤭 It was quite like seeing an alternate universe Wu Xie lol

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I wasted my time watching this drama. Boring and predictable Republican Era genre.

A Lonely Hero's Journey, set in the republican era, delves into the tumultuous period of China's history, marked by the presence of various political parties (Japanese, the CCP, the National, etc.) While this genre may be saturated with similar narratives, this drama did not stand out with its storytelling and character development. Initially, it was interesting, but it went downhill after Gu Yi Zhong married Zhang Hai Mo (played by Cheng Du Ling; she cannot act). It got draggy and boring.

Synopsis: Gu Yi Zhong, the young master of the famous Gu Family in Suzhou, graduated from the architecture department of a renowned foreign university. During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, Gu Yi Zhong insisted on staying in Suzhou to protect cultural relics. He actively participated in anti-Japanese activities. In a rescue operation, Gu Yi Zhong was framed by the Japanese as a traitor within the party and betrayed overnight. Unable to prove his innocence and find the real traitor, Gu Yi Zhong took the initiative to infiltrate the Japanese army and became a hidden Suzhou Secret Service Station member. His hidden task is full of dangers.

My Reviews:
1. Initially, it was interesting, but it went downhill and got boring after Gu Yi Zhong married Zheng Hai Mo.
2. Gu Yi Zhong's character is portrayed as weak and unable to protect his family and loved ones. The tragic deaths of his father, sister, and lover serve as a testament to his perceived inadequacy, a disappointing turn for those who value strong characters.
3. He ended up marrying someone he didn't love, and I was disappointed when his lover, Xiao Ruo Tong (played by Wang Yu Wen), was killed by a sniper.
4. Zhang Song Wen's acting is good, but the plot is so bad that it doesn't do justice to the drama.

I am giving it a 5.0 rating because of the bad plot and acting from a few supporting casts.

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I Finished the Drama and Immediately Rewatched Ep. 25

I feel like I really have to write this, because I honestly never expected to like this drama this much.

At first, I only randomly decided to watch it as a little warm-up before The Lament of Autumn airs. I thought this was going to be an “idol drama,” but apparently not. I completely forgot to check the genre properly and didn’t realize this drama is actually about espionage during the Japanese occupation of China, so the plot is naturally much more serious and very different from The Lament of Autumn or Overdo. But even though the story is serious, and I know very little about the history of the Japanese occupation of China, especially the political dynamics between the Communist Party and the Kuomintang, I honestly never expected it to hold my attention all the way through 36 episodes!

I don’t feel qualified to comment on the political storyline, the espionage elements, or whether the historical aspects are accurate, but I can tell you one thing: watching this will not feel like a waste of time.

Production-wise, I think this drama is pretty solid. The acting from both the male and female cast is beyond doubt, everyone is very professional. Zeng Shunxi especially impressed me. He had to act alongside so many veteran actors, and he really held his own. You can tell he put a lot of thought into Gu Yizhong and fully immersed himself in the character. I’ve enjoyed him in his previous dramas, but I think this role made me appreciate him even more.

But you know what left the biggest impression on me after watching this drama? The romance. Yes. The VERY THIN romance.

I’m still amazed that despite the romance being shown so little, I somehow became completely obsessed with the chemistry between Gu Yizhong and Zhang Haimo (played by Chen Duling). I could probably write an entire book just to describe how much I love their relationship dynamic as husband and wife, especially because their marriage started out as a “fake” marriage (although legally and on paper, Zhang Haimo is obviously Gu Yizhong’s actual wife).

Their relationship was built around Gu Yizhong’s work as a spy, but genuine feelings started to grow between them, especially on Yizhong’s side, considering he used to have his childhood sweetheart, Xiao Ruotong.

There’s a saying that goes, “People make plans, but God decides.” And honestly, that fits them perfectly. Who would have thought that the woman Gu Yizhong was initially “forced” to marry for the sake of his mission would eventually become the one person who never lost faith in him when everyone else was questioning his loyalty to the country?

Zhang Haimo stayed by his side throughout their five years of marriage, helping him get through one difficulty after another. And even when Yizhong reached his lowest point, when he was practically on the verge of breaking down, Haimo never gave up on him. She fought for justice for her husband all by herself and did everything she could to fight for Gu Yizhong’s freedom.

How could you not love a woman who stays with you not only when you have everything, but also when you have absolutely nothing? besides, they had already lived under the same roof for five years, slept in the same room, and shared the same joys and hardships. At that point how could those feelings not become real?

One of the things I love most about their relationship is how well their individual personalities complement each other.

Gu Yizhong, even though he still had unresolved feelings for his first love at the beginning, once he chose Haimo, he stayed loyal to that choice. He never embarrassed her, never kept bringing up his first love and never personally tried to look for Xiao Ruotong himself.

And he NEVER, NOT EVEN ONCE, took off his wedding ring! not even at home. MY MAN HAS MORALS.

Meanwhile, Zhang Haimo may not be like Xiao Ruotong, who was directly involved in the political situation and worked as a spy, but she was genuinely such a good wife. She knew when to stay out of Gu Yizhong’s work and when it was appropriate to help him a little through her position as Mrs. Gu. She took such good care of her husband and their home, and she rarely complained about anything unless it involved Gu Yizhong’s safety. But she still gets a little jealous sometimes when Yizhong has to deal with other women because of his work, and those little moments made their relationship feel so natural.

I know this review turned into me talking way too much about Yizhong and Haimo instead of the actual drama, but I really can’t help it. I CANNOT MOVE ON FROM THEM. For a romance this tiny, they somehow left the biggest impression on me.

And yes, I liked them THAT much. I finished episode 36 and immediately went back to episode 25 to rewatch from the moment they got married. HAHAHA.

So yeah, if you like espionage dramas with just a LITTTTLE bit of romance that will make your heart melt, ache, and feel all the emotions, give this one a try! you get all the tension from the complicated espionage plot, and then Gu Yizhong and Haimo come in as the sweetest little bonus.

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My first republican era drama. Pleasantly surprised!

Thoughts:
🌸 Yizhong x Haimo— slowburn pro max. Chemistry is insaneee. They’re so mutually respectful and gentle with each other. Haimo harbored unrequited feelings for him the ENTIRE show. It actually became painful to watch her be so devoted to him but to no avail. There really is something special about their attachment to one another. I believe he found a home in her and we see it in the final episodes how he is so moved by her.

🌸 Props to the show for not being afraid to kill off major characters. They really killed off everyone. They need to send Yizhong a therapist frfr.

🌸Surprised how relaxing and comforting I found this show considering its themes of war and so much politics.

🌸 Crushing on both Joseph Zeng and Chen Duling. They both so fine.

🌸Overall, very pleased with this watch.


Fave characters:
💙 Haimo
- Best girl
- Shes so womanly and expensive to look at. Her face card
- My heart ached for this girl
- Dutiful wife but never man-crazy. Still kept her wits about her and always stood on business.
- Happy to love fully in silence without ever asking for anything in return. Professional yearner.
- Her ending? Loved that for her.

💙 Gu Yizhong
- This man is gorgeous ngl. So dapper.
- Very respectful and an absolute gentleman
- After everything he’s been though and everyone he lost, he deserves therapy
- Super cute when he gets flustered with things Haimo does/says during their married era.

💙Zhou Zhifei
- NOT a 2- dimensional villain. He had his own driving forces and real people problems. You come to sympathize and even laugh with him at times.
- The cheating on his wife and lying and gaslighting was a bit triggering though
- Amazing cat and mouse chemistry with Yizhong.
- Handsome. Especially his jail scenes imo.
- His death was the saddest for me.


To end this review, let me leave this painful Haimo quote for everyone:

“I know you have never forgotten her in your heart all these years. I never expected to hold the same place in your heart as she does. But Yizhong, I’d be pleased if you treated me a tenth as well as you treated her.” 💔💔💔

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