Plots and inquiries
This drama is not for everyone. It’s extremely slow-paced and dramatic, with a lot of torture and problems. From the start it’s difficult to understand the plot, but that is what makes it so interesting, as the end reveals everything. I didn’t expect such a teamwork and I could not have imagined that there would be such a mess at the end. The ending suggests that nothing is over yet. The acting was top-notch! The chemistry between Esther and LingHe, YuXiao and ChengLei was absolutely amazing! It was evident in their eyes, and it was very sensual.The interactions between the brothers were also very enjoyable. There was a lot of care and concern in their interactions, even though they seemed cold.
The drama was perfectly executed in terms of its genre, and the storytelling was excellent. There was always an element of intrigue, making it difficult to stop watching until you discovered the secrets of the plot.
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Fantastic! Until the open ending
There’s not a single thing not to love about this drama for most of it. But there are a few plot holes towards the latter part that are so gaping huge you could drive a train or two in them. And I’m not even picky about everything needing to make sense lolThe good: Actors! Humor, sarcasm, naughty/rule breaking behavior is sprinkled in run throughout, humanizing the characters and making it a fun watch, there are times you’ll bark out a laugh. And eke out some emo tears, too.
Tian Jiarui’s lil bro poisons master is an intense little freak, chewing up every scene he’s in with delicious intensity, it’s both campy and intimidating at the same time. You both feel for him and fear him. Wouldn’t trust him to make my tea or even live anywhere near me. But would want him close in a desperate situation. His super intense big bro (played by Cheng Lei) is magnetic. Can’t take your eyes off him. Charisma for miles.
Zhang Linghe’s noble hero is uncomplicated and pure of heart. I liked that so much. No BS, very genuine, but still interesting.
FLs were good, but the men stole this show. Esther Yu seems always professional in every role and never phones it in. But buying her as a real-deal assassin? Nah. It didn’t work for me. Second FL (Lu Yuxiao) character was a bit more believable.
Beautiful cinematography/feel, which is par for the course with this director, unabashedly emotional and lovely visual treatment of friends, family and loves who have passed on.
The Bad: plot holes. Cliffhanger ending that can ONLY be explained by there were plans for a 2nd season (but never happened).
This drama was a 9.5+ for me right up until the last few eps. The open ending was so empty, the show just wrapped up with a shrug, leaving the exciting, stressful story we were following right at that moment on hold without explanation, leaving so much unresolved there MUST be a reason. I hate not giving it a better score. It’s absolutely worth watching, truly great. Just tell yourself maybe there will be a part 2 someday (haha) and enjoy the ride!
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My Journey to You: A Riveting Blend of Espionage, Romance, and Intrigue"
"My Journey to You" is a 24-episode original drama series created by Guo Jingming, weaving a captivating tale of love, espionage, and self-discovery. Set in the martial arts world of jianghu, the story follows Yun Weishan, who infiltrates the Gong family for a mission, only to find herself entangled in a web of conspiracies, hidden agendas, and emotional revelations.
At around 1 hour per episode, some may find the duration a tad lengthy, but the series masterfully melds elements of espionage, intrigue, martial arts, and romance into an engaging narrative. It's a rollercoaster of emotions, keeping viewers on the edge of their seats.
What sets "My Journey to You" apart is its intricate and fast-paced storytelling. Each episode is like a carefully orchestrated symphony, unravelling layers of deception. The characters are fully fleshed out with unique personalities and motivations, creating a tapestry of intersecting lives that keeps you eagerly awaiting every twist and turn.
The high-quality production values shine through in the cinematography, authentic sets, exquisite costumes, and well-executed action choreography. The drama's colour palette, dominated by dark tones with hints of white, gold, and red, adds to its visual appeal.
The ensemble cast delivers remarkable performances, with Yu Shuxin and Lu Yuxiao standing out. Yu Shuxin's versatility shines as she portrays a complex character, while Lu Yuxiao's subtle expressions bring depth to her role. Tian Jiarui impresses in his debut performance.
However, the drama does have its downsides. It loses some momentum midway, leaving viewers with unanswered questions. Additionally, the weak characterization of the male lead may disappoint some, and the ending may leave you wanting more closure.
Despite its drawbacks, "My Journey to You" remains a remarkable drama. With its engrossing plot, impressive cinematography, and art direction, it's a must-watch for mystery, suspense, and wuxia drama fans. Dive into the world of intrigue, espionage, and unexpected romance in this captivating series.
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A puzzle that gives a different answer every time.
After finishing the drama, I realise why no one was willing to leave a bad review for it, because this drama is strange.Shot in slow motion, but by God, you can't watch it on FF because you just can't. Sigh.
The cinematography was good, the fight scenes were epic, even the melodramatic sister had her charm. Here's my take. There's no sequel coming because:
1. Shanguan Qian is not pregnant [watch the scene carefully again and see the clues for yourself]
2. The ending: I'm not exactly upset here because the premise of this drama was never the romance, so It's either the ML died waiting for Ah Yun to return to him, or she actually did return after. I'm leaning on more of her return because she's obviously upgraded in martial arts since her arrival at the Gong's annnd she's picked up skills, obviously. Me thinks if she became pissed, she could pull it off and manage a comeback to her man after all.
3. I'm not watching a sequel because I cannot can this drama anymore, but if one does come out, which I know will not, I'll conveniently forget I wrote these words and watch it anyway, LOL.
4. This drama is a dark horse, you cannot hate it, but you're not sure you love it, the rewatch value is high, but an immediate rewatch after is slow.
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"wounds tell other that your body is hurt. tears tell others that heart is hurt". give it a chance.
Writing a review to this drama is unimaginably hard. I just have no idea if I should rant the series or should I praise the series. I am not Chinese and facts such as if the vibe has something to do with Japan and all I have no idea. And again the story itself was something different and the production was also very different. The dark and ominous vibe of the gong house and the mist covered jiuchen helps the story keep its mystery. The start of the story was truly engaging but after sometime the story become different and the main leads story was not as notable as the second main leads. The climax of story was rushed through 2 episodes and that was truly disappointing if they had taken more time to conclude the story by adding may be 2 or 3 more episodes it would have been totally different. The ending was a true cliff hanger you really don’t know what happened to some characters. For example the ending of the female lead was indefinite. They really don’t explain about the after math of the second female lead. Leaving the male lead at the gates of gong house was terribly cruel .the story didn’t really keep me guessing till the end but was interesting. The male lead was less interesting than the second male lead. gong zi yu (zhang liang he) was a simple character and the character development was also slow and very simple but the second male lead gong shangjue (rayan cheng) was complex and the character clearly had a development and it was a good one too. Plus the relationship between male lead and female lead was said to be a strong one with less number of things happening to them and the character development was something related to trauma and not the relationship between the lead. but then again the character development for the second male lead clearly was related to the second female lead and there is a definite reason why they can be a good couple. The series was a philosophical one and the metaphors used where reasonable though some might find it dragging and unnecessary it was quite enjoyable to me.Overall the one thing I can surely say is that you have watch this drama at your own risk. You might feel like troughing the entire story in the trash or could feel like keeping it a souvenir. All the best.
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Star-crossed
My Journey to You is a dark wuxia drama about a doomed romance between a spy and her ultimate target. It follows Yun Weishan, an orphaned girl taken and trained by a mysterious criminal organization called Wufeng. Her mission was to infiltrate an enemy clan and gather information about the enigmatic and secretive Gongs. But she fails her mission the moment she falls for Gong Zi Yu, the Sword Wielder and chief of the clan, causing her to question her own motives, feelings, and loyalty towards Wufeng.Yu Shuxin absolutely shines as the conflicted and highly intelligent Yun Weishan, a performance I never thought I'd see from her as she is notorious for her cutesy roles and infantile voice that drives me nuts at times. lol I loved her in this drama, though. It made me see her in another light and because of this drama, I am willing to give her another chance in similar works. But as much as I found the premise and female lead intriguing, I found myself more drawn to the secondary characters. I wasn't invested in her relationship with Gong Zi Yu played by Zhang Linghe. The character just felt flat to me for some reason. Perhaps Gong Zi Yu is far too much of a goody two shoes that he didn't resonate with me.
The second couple also did nothing for me as the second female lead was downright unlikable from the start. Her manipulative, selfish, arrogant, and scheming nature just left a bad taste in my mouth. With all due respect to Lu Yuxiao, her Shangguan Qian will most likely hinder me from watching her other works any time soon. I just couldn't stand her character! And I'm afraid I will associate her with this role for quite some time. Cheng Lei, however, was the perfect cold and domineering tsundere, Gong Shangjue. I wanted a better ending for him. But thank goodness for the third couple, Jin Fan and Gong Zishang, they were my favorites! Their comedic tandem kept me entertained all throughout the drama. I also became attached to the fourth couple, Elder Yue and Yun Que, they were quite charming though their love was ultimately a tragic one. The Xue boys and Young Master Hua were also adorable. Yun Weishan's master and handler, Han Ya Si was another unforgettable character. But my favorite is definitely Gong Yuanzhi. Tian Jiarui is simply magnetic in this role and he played it to a tee. I have high hopes for the future of this young actor.
Apart from his visuals and distinct filmmaking style, Guo Jingming's strong suit is writing relatable and interesting supporting characters, so it's no wonder that I loved this cast as much as I loved the cast of Fangs of Fortune. Speaking of visuals, like all of Guo Jingming's works, it is a spectacle to behold. The cinematography, the carefully curated sets, the beautifully crafted costumes, the deliberate almost dance-like movements of the actors, the cinematic shots, and the stylistic action choreography are unlike any other I've seen in C-dramas not helmed by him. It is, in every sense of the word, art. He may not have the best reputation in the industry or even be the most capable writer, but he is no slouch when it comes to artistry and that is why I keep watching his dramas and films.
The memorable music adds to the appeal of the drama and is pretty much the glue that holds the story together, making the emotional beats considerably more impactful. Kudos to the music composer and music editor for a job well done.
Unfortunately, this drama is not without flaws. Though relatively shorter with merely 24 episodes, the run time of each episode is about an hour long, and the signature slow speech and pacing of Guo Jingming's dramas dragged things out as if procrastination was its job, leaving me to nod off into dreamland quite a few times. And yet the last few episodes flew by like a super cyclone in a hurry to devastate another territory, only screeching into a halt with an abrupt cliffhanger of an ending. I mean, I get it. That ending was a deliberate choice to open things up for a potential sequel. I won't be surprised if they had at least another season planned. But with how busy the actors have gotten since the drama was released, I don't see how they would have the time to make another season. It took Joy of Life 5 years to produce a second season and it was a massive hit. It wouldn't have been possible without the full cooperation of all the actors involved. But they could've at least given it a proper ending. The main conflict of the season was already resolved, so it should've been able to stand on its own, sequel or no sequel. Sadly, this is a kind of trend in C-dramas. This is not the only drama I've seen with an ambiguous ending. And because of those flaws I mentioned, I can only give an 8.
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Waiting for a season 2
I didn't expect myself to complete this drama within 2 days with close to sleepless nights. The story itself builds up steadily and I would say this is one of the rare few dramas that I didn't drop. Watched it because of Linghe at first but I am happy with the direction of this story because I think it is Esther's first non-cutesy drama.I felt like Esther did an amazing job portraying her character considering her previous dramas. This was not cringey and it was rather mature. Everyone in the show definitely had some good acting points and I really like how each character was able to have some backstory towards the end of the show.
The only thing that I didn't really like was that they didn't release the second season directly after this. Many reviewers mentioned that the ending is rather the director's style. I LOVE it actually but I would love to see a continuation!
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Stockholm syndrome
Overall, worth watching: excellent and good looking cast, fantastic chemistry between the leads, lots of mysteries and twists in the story and great backdrop.However, be ready that the ending is open-ended. Would be nice if there is a sequel to tie everything up - but don't bet on it. I have not seen any Chinese drama sequel successfully released so far, and most of those released did not measure up to its predecessors.
Yun WeiShan was sent to the Gong clan as a spy by the WuFeng gang, disguised as a candidate for a bride. WuFeng was a notorious group which had dominated the martial art world and forced many clans to submit to them. However, the Gong clan rejected their demands and was about the last not to submit. And as the drama progressed, you would find there were other spies beside WeiShan. WeiShan found that she not only had to hide her identity from the Gongs, she had to deal with other scheming spies ready to betray her if necessary to protect their own identities and their mission.
The young handsome Gong ZiYu was thrown into the position of the clan leader when his father and eldest brother was assassinated, presumably by WuFeng's spies. While selecting his bride, ZiYu fell in love with WeiShan. Relationship between the spy and the new leader became complicated and it looked like she was a liability which might bring down ZiYu from the leadership position.
Highlights about this drama:
1. The story was very interesting. There was always new discoveries; nothing and no one was what they seemed to be.
2. There were good humour as portrayed by the character Gong ZiShang. Although her behaviour was funny in many scenes and helped lightened up the dark and serious drama, some were quite snapstick.
3. Zhang Ling He was as usual outstanding in this drama. He was the second lead in the drama Love between Devil and Fairy and was perhaps overlooked or overshadowed. But his subsequent performance in this and the Story of Kunning Palace along with Bai Lu was nothing short of outstanding.
4. The other main leads were equally good. Ryan Cheng played the cold faced Gong ShangJue who actually had a soft side. Yu Shu Xin hailed from the drama Love between Devil and Fairy - I am not quite convinced about her acting - she played the cool and calm spy - a character which was mostly quite boring - saved mainly by her chemistry with Zhang Ling He. By comparison, the scheming Shangquan Qian (Lu Yu Xiao) was more interesting and earned our disgust.
5. Everything was good except the last episode. Everyone was unhappy - a sharp contrast to the Story of Kunning Palace. I wish they could do a better job with the ending. I suggest with such lousy endings, come up with your own ending.
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Not Ester Yu’s usual character type - hurray!
Originally I began watching this because of ZLH but was pleasantly surprised that EY was not playing an airhead which was very refreshing and her character was totally believable.The plot follows two female spies from the evil and vicious Wufeng sect that infiltrate an introverted and mysterious sect controlled by the Gongs who specialise in lotions, potions and poisons only to find that the second son has suddenly become the sect leader upon the death of his father and heir apparent elder brother. Their aim is to destroy Gong so that Wufeng can proceed with its plan for world domination.
The FL starts to fall for the ML as she helps him to conquer physical obstacles, his family members and the elders who don’t want him as their leader. He gains in confidence and their relationship grows and she confesses to being by his side with a mission to kill him and help destroy the sect. Due to their honesty (he lets her see how little confidence he has, how unhappy he was to be made the ruler and how he longs to return to being the ‘spare’. She tells him how she longs for her freedom and to break free from her contract with Wufeng) they build not just deep feelings but absolute trust in each other and there is abundant chemistry as they fall in love.
The second spy manages to build a relationship with MLs cousin but lies and cheats her way into his bed and yet despite their relationship being built on lust not love, there are still feelings between them, no matter how conflicted, and the actors really bring to life their complex characters and the situations they find themselves in.
Although this seems like a really dark tale, there are some amusing moments as MLs sister chases after his body guard in subtle and not so subtle ways.
My only criticism is that this story finishes on a bit of a cliffy but I’m not sure if there will ever be a second series to tie up the large number of loose ends which is a shame as the chemistry between the main characters is so good and there is enough content to put into a sequel.
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A promising beginning....if only the rest wasn't dragging
The very beginning was very interesting, and I couldn't wait to see more. But around episode 10 the drama started to drag.The pacing is the biggest problem here. One scene shouldn't last for 20+ minutes. I often found myself falling asleep to it.
Now, the second problem was Esther Yu and Zhang Ling He. Their romance didn't work for me at all. I didn't understand where this instant attraction came from.
I felt no chemistry between them. Like 0%. I do like both actors, especially Ling He, but I hope they will never cast them together again.
Esther Yu acting wasn't bad, but at the same time, she felt flat for me in some episodes. I really enjoyed her performance in episode 23.
Now, the second couple was truly amazing. I felt their chemistry through the scene. Shang Jue was for me the best character in the entire drama together with Zi Shang and Yuan Zhi.
Zi Shang made me laugh so hard. Her comedy is top! I'd love to see her in more dramas.
The twist at the end surprised me quite a bit. I was glad to see that at the end the whole Gong family got together and went against Wufeng together.
The music was outstanding. The dark aesthetic of this drama is something I'd like to see more. Every scene was beautiful shot, and directed.
I wonder what made them add the last 6 minutes of pointless footage at the end. It was totally unnecessary since there won't be a season 2.
Over all, I enjoyed the drama. But it could've been done much better.
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second leads outshining main leads?
i honestly don't understand why this plot was so weird. the main leads are literally zhang linghe and esther yu yet the script and plot literally just showcases the "BETTER" chemistry between lu yuxiao and ryan cheng, the red flag couple.yushuxin's acting was quite good, the contrast of her in lbfad and in my journey to you was really huge, her cuteness in lbfad and the cold vibe she's giving off in this show as the wufeng spy in this show was really great, showcasing her strengths in acting cute characters and cold/evil characters. she's such a great actress!! the casting was actually a solid 10/10. just a very unexpectedly weird plot, it seemed like the directors only used the main leads to gain fame for this show just to project viewers to enjoy the acting of the 2nd couple more. If there was more scenes and chances for the main leads to showcase their romance/chemistry in this show more, im pretty sure we can see how their relationship deepens. the ending of this show was also pretty abrupt and seemed rushed? i hope there's a 2nd season where we can see what actually happened in the end instead of an inexplainable and "forcing viewers to guess" kind of ending.
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Both good and bad
This series really leaves me torn. There's is a lot to like, and a lot to dislike too. in terms of the pros, I really liked the cinematography and visuals, so artistic and serene, matched by some nice music. The plot is also very intricate but with some good explanations at the very end. In terms of the cons, Esther, the FL is really not my cup of tea, and she made this worse by playing the character as a very timid person who is always speaking softly and looking at the ground. Even worse was the Zishan character who apparently is the comic relief in an otherwise very solemn feeling series. This Zishan character was so jarring and annoying that I can only compare her to the Jar Jar Binks character in the Phantom Menace. She really detracted from the story for me. The other characters were better, although Zhang Linghe as the ML is still a bit stiff, but better than his first shows. And last of all, the ending is a cliffhanger and I doubt that there is even a second season coming. Awful to leave the viewers like that.Was this review helpful to you?
