This review may contain spoilers
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.
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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