Cheng Yi Shines in One of the Best Wuxia Dramas Without Romance
From the very beginning, I hesitated to watch this drama because of the romantic elements it seemed to include. However, since Cheng Yi was part of the cast, I had no choice but to give it a try. To my surprise, even without heavy romance, this turned out to be one of the finest Wuxia dramas I’ve ever seen. I’m truly proud of Cheng Yi’s performance he never fails to impress his fans.🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰Was this review helpful to you?
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A disjointed mess that drags more than it inspires.
The Journey of Legend promised an epic tale filled with wonder, heroism, and unforgettable storytelling, but what it delivers instead is a disjointed mess that drags more than it inspires.The pacing is painfully uneven—slow where it should grip, rushed where it should breathe. Characters feel one-dimensional, with motivations that seem forced rather than earned. The supposed “legendary” journey rarely feels legendary at all, relying too heavily on clichés instead of building genuine stakes or emotional resonance.
Visually, the production had potential, but even the aesthetics can’t cover up the weak writing and uninspired direction. Moments that should have been climactic or moving end up feeling hollow, leaving the audience frustrated rather than fulfilled.
In the end, The Journey of Legend isn’t a grand saga—it’s a disappointing slob of missed opportunities and wasted potential. Unless you’re a die-hard fan desperate for any content in this genre, it’s hard to recommend sitting through it.
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A little flawed but quite entertaining
Storyline - Moderate - The concept (man enters the world of his martial-arts fantasies) is clever, but the writing sometimes plays it too safe. There are moving scenes of loyalty, sacrifice, and friendship, yet others feel padded.Genre - wuxia + fantasy leanings, personal growth, conflicts, some worldbuilding.
The main protagonist is Xiao Mingming (portrayed by Cheng Yi), a person who once loved martial-arts novels but finds himself disillusioned by real life. He is pulled into the world of jianghu (the martial arts / swordsmen world), essentially a crossover between his fantasy fandom and reality. Over time, he grows, faces trials, and transforms from someone with little power into a hero with responsibilities.
Cast/Acting - Mixed-Good -Lots of famous faces, Cheng Yi (double role) gives emotional depth and at times carries this drama especially in the later episodes. Good to see Liu Meng Rui in a mature role. Lots of characters from ‘Mysterious Lotus Casebook’ - performances not on par with that epic. Supporting cast range from excellent to wooden. Casting is “male-centric,” female characters or side characters not as deeply developed.
Music/OST- The soundtrack is elegant and often haunting, good for absorbing rhythm and tone.
Emotional pull - This drama has moments that stir reflection about courage, destiny, and loyalty but not every episode lands. Elements of romance in places.
Visuals - Uneven - The landscapes are often gorgeous, but some CGI and fight effects break immersion. The choreography of the martial arts scenes were epic in places and the drama is worth the watch just for those scenes. Beautiful costumes, lovely colours.
The editing and continuity lets this drama down otherwise it could have been rated much higher. The drama was also rushed I believe another 2 episodes could have done justice to the story.
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the rates should be higher
I’ve just finished watching The Journey of Legend, and I have to say the ratings and comments I’ve seen don’t do it justice. A score of 7.8 feels far too low—this drama deserves at least an 8.9. The cast is phenomenal, true professionals who bring their characters to life with depth and emotion. The main character especially is outstanding, with incredible presence and even a kind of “chemistry with himself” that makes his dual roles fascinating to watch. Episode 27, in particular, was unforgettable.At first, I wasn’t impressed. I thought, “Why isn’t he strong right from the beginning?” But as the story unfolded, I realized how important that slow start was. We got to witness the hero’s growth and transformation, which made the journey far more rewarding. His second persona, Li Chen Zhou, was brilliant. The emperor, on the other hand, frustrated me so much that I almost disliked the actor himself! And honestly, they didn’t need to kill off so many characters—but I’ll leave that aside.
In the end, this drama is truly excellent. Every time Cheng Yi’s character died, I cried. His acting talent is remarkable, and I sincerely hope we’ll see him in many more Wuxia dramas. The Journey of Legend is a series that combines emotional depth, strong performances, and memorable storytelling—it’s one I’ll remember for a long time.
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EPIC FAIL ! Overhype Bad Quality Drama
The Journey of Legend, led by Cheng Yi, arrived with aggressive marketing and empty promises of wuxia greatness, but the final show collapses under weak acting, poor direction, and glaring production problems. The pre-release campaigns promised revolutionary storytelling, flawless martial arts, and cinematic spectacle, but the reality is far from that. What was sold as a wuxia epic has become a warning about ambition without skill—a perfect example of overhype gone horribly wrong, like Ashes of Love or Fighter of the Destiny, where heavy promotion and fanfare promised epic drama, but the final product was a hollow, uneven mess.Cheng Yi’s Performance: From Wuxia Epic to Epic Failure
Cheng Yi’s acting exposes the series’ failures. His line delivery is weak, with poor diction, muddled speech, and constant mumbling that makes it seem like he barely knows his lines. He often sounds bored, stripping dramatic moments of any impact.
Attempts to act cute in lighter scenes only make the disconnect worse. These moments feel awkward and cringe-inducing, leaving viewers questioning whether it is bad acting, miscast age, or both.
Even in martial arts scenes, Cheng Yi fails. His posture sometimes looks okay, but the fight choreography is stiff and fake. Wire-assisted jumps and aerial moves are poorly done, and heavy use of fog and green screens cannot hide the sloppy work. Instead of showing skill, these scenes reveal mismanaged choreography, careless editing, and lack of technical polish.
Direction: From Wuxia Epic to Epic Failure
The director is the series’ biggest problem. Scenes that should convey tension, skill, and story development look flat, with awkward camera angles, unclear space, and excessive shots that do nothing for the story.
Wirework and flying scenes are badly framed and edited. Despite fog and digital effects, the tricks are obvious, turning martial arts sequences into clumsy, unconvincing images. The director’s focus on surface spectacle instead of real wuxia craft undermines the series entirely.
Editing and Production: From Wuxia Epic to Epic Failure
Editing makes the series worse. Continuity is inconsistent, scene changes are abrupt, and production mistakes are obvious. Script pages and notes appear on-screen, Cheng Yi wears Crocs in costume, mannequin props are visible, and extras who are supposed to be dead are caught standing up. One extra is even seen cleaning his ears on camera. These mistakes show the footage was not properly reviewed and highlight complete lack of oversight.
CGI and cinematography fail completely. Digital backgrounds clash with live action, characters appear blurred, foot placement is off, frames are distorted, lighting is poor, and effects are sloppy. The production feels amateurish and careless.
Marketing vs. Reality: From Wuxia Epic to Epic Failure
Marketing promised epic wuxia action, flawless fights, and immersive storytelling. The reality delivers none of this. The gap between hype and execution is immediate and obvious, leaving a show remembered more for false promises than anything on-screen.
Conclusion: From Wuxia Epic to Epic Failure
The Journey of Legend is an example of ambition without skill. Cheng Yi’s uneven acting, terrible direction, editing full of mistakes, and weak visual effects combine to create a series that fails on almost every level. What was marketed as a wuxia epic has become a cautionary tale of big promises, sloppy execution, and a production consumed by its own hype—a textbook example of how overhype can make a drama worse than mediocre.
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So disappointing
The dubbing is so obvious in this show, especally for a high budget show... The plot is just awefully written or maybe just the flow of the drama, I usually never comment on these shows but for a main lead that's suppose to be from the future, the story has lost it original plot, making the ML really weak and useless.Was this review helpful to you?
Ouch! This one hurt..
Lets start with this.. I love love Cheng Yi and I'm not gonna blame him for this 💜 I've watched almost all his shows.. but this one ughhh.. i finished it.. i believe there were too many characters and story was kind of all over the place.. just an example the FL.. she disappeared for several eps and her story just like disappeared into air and never went back to explain what happened.. there were so many characters who were represented poorly.. like who are you sir? Then he's ded. Wtf. And my other fave character Suifeng.. his story as well was poorly executed.. i dont blame the actors/actresses they are just following what they're told.. i blame the directors and screenwriters for this one. Would i recommend? Yes and No. Yes if you are a big Cheng Yi fan like me to show support.. and No if you're not cuz it will bore you and drive u nuts 💜Was this review helpful to you?
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For chengyi, fake rating.
Cheng Yi is my all-time favorite Chinese actor. For me, he’s the best when it comes to acting—whether it’s emotional scenes, romance, or fight sequences, he usually excels at everything. However, I didn’t like how he portrayed his character, Xiao Shui, in this drama. It felt like he was playing Li Chengzhou instead, and overall, this was his weakest performance so far.The plot was extremely boring and full of plot holes. The sad moments felt forced and piled on one after another, the twists were illogical, and the ending was absurd.
Honestly, I don’t know how I managed to finish all 40 episodes—I did it only for him.
The script was very poorly written, and the problems didn’t stop there. The directing, camerawork, and color grading were also weak. The supporting cast did the drama no favors either, except for Xu Zhenxuan, who was excellent and one of the main reasons I kept watching. Everyone else was forgettable. It felt like the production relied entirely on Cheng Yi’s name, assuming the drama would succeed without any real effort.
This was supposed to be an S+ drama, but it looked and felt low-budget, not recommend, don't waste your time
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It’s been a rough journey so far
I’m currently on episode 12 and really wanted to give this drama a fair chance. I’ve seen Cheng Yi in other works before—while I wouldn’t say I’m a fan with a bias, I was open to seeing how he would carry this story. Unfortunately, I’ve had several issues so far:• Too many characters, too little clarity. The sheer number of characters makes the story feel distorted and hard to follow. Perhaps the novel provides more context, but on screen, the narrative doesn’t flow smoothly.
• Cheng Yi’s acting. His performance feels very monotonous. Maybe his character was written to have a flat affect, but aside from one emotional scene after a friend’s death (which still came across unconvincingly), his delivery lacks depth. I know he’s capable of better.
• CGI overload. The excessive use of CGI in fight scenes is distracting—especially in the era of 4K where the flaws become so obvious. Tom Cruise once said he refused CGI in Top Gun to keep the experience authentic, and I think that resonates here. Perhaps I’ve just hit my limit with the overuse of CGI in C-dramas.
That said, I’ll continue watching in hopes that the series redeems itself. Right now, though, I’m also watching Spirealm, which is far superior in quality, making the flaws here stand out even more. It leaves me with the same feeling I had watching Shadow Love—great actors stuck in mediocre shows
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Cheng Yi was definitely the highlight for me. He completely owns his role — serious when he needs to be, but also emotional and charismatic. His presence just pulls you into the story.
Visually, it’s stunning. The costumes, landscapes, and set designs all felt so rich and detailed, really bringing the martial arts world to life. Plus, there are some surprisingly emotional moments mixed in with all the action, which I wasn’t expecting but really liked.
Overall, if you’re into wuxia dramas or just want something with a mix of action, fantasy, and heart, The Journey of Legend is a great pick. Definitely worth the watch — especially if you’re a Cheng Yi fan!
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Interesting Story, Poor Execution
This had all the elements of an exciting Wuxia Drama.A Martial Arts novel enthusiast and author, who transmigrates into a classic Martial Arts novel taking the role of the MC, with an AI System that guides his objectives. The backdrop is a mix of the original novel and his writing.
However the execution is so boring, i struggled to watch 10 episodes.
- With the plot, i expected MC after accepting his situation, to seek out martials arts training, growing from a zero to hero type as he navigates the story with some prior knowledge. Instead his stagnet skills subconciously just appear and they focus more on schemes, politics, righteousness, friendship, camaraderie. So utterly boring that it's puzzling.
- Lead Actor is very weak and dull in his delivery. I did not enjoy his most popular work either (Mysterious Lotus Casebook).
- Pacing is painfully slow, there is alot of scenes where it is just talking and self-reflection/introspection.
- The action is not bad, but too few and far between.
Maybe it gets better later, but it doesn't entice the viewer to watch more.
Unsatisfying and unfortunate for such an interesting concept.
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The fighting scenes are superb!
As an old wuxia reader from Gu Long, Jin Yong, etc, I feel so happy when I watch this drama, didn't expect too much at the beginning, but turns out it really delivers so many action fighting scenes in quick pace. Humour, family matters, friendship, revenge complete the whole pack Jianghu story with its ups and downs, very entertaining! Ah the OSTs also very good, I favorite three songs. I watched until ep 14 yesterday, and I am still engaged to this drama, watching clips from upcoming eps, they keep dragging me to invest more! I always craving for good fight scenes, this drama delivers very well! And now I am investing more to the angst as well, hopefully the upcoming eps are as well entertaining until the final eps!Was this review helpful to you?
