This review may contain spoilers
GJM trap all over again, fall at your own risk!
Plot premise is good, but the execution!!
First of all, I’m an enjoyer of My Journey to You and a dropper of Fangs of Fortune, and I think that already describes my expectations for this drama. I knew about all the controversies surrounding GJM, and honestly, I already expected to hate this drama even before it aired (but still ended up watching it anyway… wtf 😭).
I watched the first 7 episodes in one sitting when only 15-16 episodes were out. Then I decided to pause because I knew the ending wasn’t going to be good. But eventually, I picked it up again, continued until episode 20, and then binge-watched the rest once the express package was released. I just couldn’t bring myself to give it a 9/10 because the drama is simply… disappointing.
It is a draining drama. It’s exhausting… Honestly, I don’t even know why I put myself through this misery, hoping for the impossible lol. But I would still recommend it, with LOTS of notes.
What I love:
I love the acting, especially from Ju Jingyi and Tian Jiarui. The rewind scenes were heartbreaking but also beautiful. Ji Ling’s appearance is definitely a highlight. That viral wires white robes reuters were actually the reason I started this torturous GJM production in the first place lol.
Tian Jiarui did a great job portraying multiple roles and showed clear growth from his previous performances. As for Ju Jingyi, I can finally see why she gets so much hype, she’s beautiful and delivers emotionally. Don’t tell me you didn’t cry when she longed for Ji Ling beside the puppet in that red robe 😭😭.
This is also my first time watching Zeng Shunxi, and I can confidently say I’m becoming a fan. Wu Shiguang feels like a role made for him, and he executed it really well. Chen Duling, as always, carries that elegant, refined aura perfectly.
I also want to highlight how well they executed certain emotional storylines, especially the creation of Li Jie. The bond between the brothers, the friendship, the sunshine and sunshine protector dynamic… it was all so touching. The devastation Li Jie felt when he realized he had lost Ji Ling forever, Ji Ling is his sunshine, his partner 😭.
Episodes 23-24 are crucial because they finally explain all the confusion from earlier episodes. You really have to survive all the plot twists to get there. And Longshen… he’s probably the loneliest character in the story, to the point that he develops a “loneliness fragrance.” That absolutely broke me 😭.
Overall, it’s a good drama if you’re looking for high-quality fight scenes, impressive CGI, beautiful visuals, and a strong OST. The action choreography and camerawork are mostly memorable.
What I hate:
The “equal billing” nonsense and the lack of screentime for Zeng Shunxi and Chen Duling. They are the biggest victims here.
I really hate how underdeveloped the “heir of the dragon deity” plotline is. Why was he written to be so weak? How did the story shift from a journey to find the 10th dragon deity and build the heir, the future… into a story about reminiscing over the creation of a spirit vessel? He is merely a supporter of the “real” dragon deity, no? Did I misunderstand the premise from the beginning? 🤔I could’ve accepted it if the drama had focused solely on the kingmaker storyline. But they promised EQUAL BILLING. Of course viewers are upset. We are mad! After 25 episodes, it feels like GJM suddenly remembered: “Oh right, we still need to make Wu Shiguang the dragon.” Like… where was the PACING all this time?
I’m not blaming the actors. This is solely on GJM. If the promotion hadn’t emphasized equal billing, this would’ve been more acceptable. They shouldn’t have marketed it as four main leads with equal billing. I would’ve been fine with the LWY-JL couple as the main leads, if only they had been honest from the start. IF ONLY. I genuinely hope Zeng Shunxi and Chen Duling were paid accordingly, as main leads. I don’t know why I fell into the same GJM trap again. At least I was strong enough to drop FoF lol.
Besides the billing issue (which I usually don’t even care about, but this time I felt betrayed), I also hate the censorship. The Han Ba arc was clearly cut, we CAN tell. The scenes about storytelling to get the room keys were missing, and I’m sure there were more beautiful moments between Su Jian and Han Ba that got removed. Cutting it from 40 episodes down to 29 is just… painful.
Yes, some issues might be due to censorship, but a lot could have been avoided if GJM had put more effort into balancing the story and respecting all his actors. He couldn’t balance the screentime, he couldn’t balance the romance, nor balancing the dragon deity-vessel storyline. He couldn’t even balance the favouritism between his favourites. Equal billing bulls*it. Wu Shiguang, as the heir, is so underpowered that Ji Ling has to appear everywhere to solve everything and save everyone. Like… Wu Shiguang, you such a spoiled little dragon brat prince. Why are you freeloading? /s. Even in the final confrontation with Jiu Ying, he still needed Ji Ling. I get it, I get it. The fake feels like the real, and the real feels like the fake. That’s the main plot of the story.
Well, the ending is quite surprising. It’s a HAPPY ENDING by GJM standards. IYKYK lol. The fact that simply being ALIVE is considered a happy ending is wild. No one turns into dust, no one is left waiting endlessly on the stairs. It’s an open ending for the Wuwu couple, but I choose to regard it as a happy one. They get to restart, and I know Wu Shiguang would succeed in courting Wu Wangyan again. They’re fated, and no one can separate them.
As for the *main* couple, it’s a happy ending in the sense that they forget their miserable past lives and are reborn as humans, just as Lu Wuyi wished. Their wish comes true, and that last scene at the flower shop! That smile! It’s Ji Ling’s, just like the first time Lu Wuyi saw him, the form she fell in love with. That’s enough for me *ehem. I guess I have low standards.
The ending is actually a rewind timeline and a different universe (so you watched 28.5 episodes for noth—oops lol), so there’s no Li Jie, no weak You Chi, and no dead people.
You either love or hate GJM dramas. It’s ALWAYS like this. Next time (maybe for Hidden Shadow), I’d rather wait until it finishes airing before deciding if I WANT TO TORTURE MYSELF AGAIN with another draining yet beautiful drama before starting it lol.
First of all, I’m an enjoyer of My Journey to You and a dropper of Fangs of Fortune, and I think that already describes my expectations for this drama. I knew about all the controversies surrounding GJM, and honestly, I already expected to hate this drama even before it aired (but still ended up watching it anyway… wtf 😭).
I watched the first 7 episodes in one sitting when only 15-16 episodes were out. Then I decided to pause because I knew the ending wasn’t going to be good. But eventually, I picked it up again, continued until episode 20, and then binge-watched the rest once the express package was released. I just couldn’t bring myself to give it a 9/10 because the drama is simply… disappointing.
It is a draining drama. It’s exhausting… Honestly, I don’t even know why I put myself through this misery, hoping for the impossible lol. But I would still recommend it, with LOTS of notes.
What I love:
I love the acting, especially from Ju Jingyi and Tian Jiarui. The rewind scenes were heartbreaking but also beautiful. Ji Ling’s appearance is definitely a highlight. That viral wires white robes reuters were actually the reason I started this torturous GJM production in the first place lol.
Tian Jiarui did a great job portraying multiple roles and showed clear growth from his previous performances. As for Ju Jingyi, I can finally see why she gets so much hype, she’s beautiful and delivers emotionally. Don’t tell me you didn’t cry when she longed for Ji Ling beside the puppet in that red robe 😭😭.
This is also my first time watching Zeng Shunxi, and I can confidently say I’m becoming a fan. Wu Shiguang feels like a role made for him, and he executed it really well. Chen Duling, as always, carries that elegant, refined aura perfectly.
I also want to highlight how well they executed certain emotional storylines, especially the creation of Li Jie. The bond between the brothers, the friendship, the sunshine and sunshine protector dynamic… it was all so touching. The devastation Li Jie felt when he realized he had lost Ji Ling forever, Ji Ling is his sunshine, his partner 😭.
Episodes 23-24 are crucial because they finally explain all the confusion from earlier episodes. You really have to survive all the plot twists to get there. And Longshen… he’s probably the loneliest character in the story, to the point that he develops a “loneliness fragrance.” That absolutely broke me 😭.
Overall, it’s a good drama if you’re looking for high-quality fight scenes, impressive CGI, beautiful visuals, and a strong OST. The action choreography and camerawork are mostly memorable.
What I hate:
The “equal billing” nonsense and the lack of screentime for Zeng Shunxi and Chen Duling. They are the biggest victims here.
I really hate how underdeveloped the “heir of the dragon deity” plotline is. Why was he written to be so weak? How did the story shift from a journey to find the 10th dragon deity and build the heir, the future… into a story about reminiscing over the creation of a spirit vessel? He is merely a supporter of the “real” dragon deity, no? Did I misunderstand the premise from the beginning? 🤔I could’ve accepted it if the drama had focused solely on the kingmaker storyline. But they promised EQUAL BILLING. Of course viewers are upset. We are mad! After 25 episodes, it feels like GJM suddenly remembered: “Oh right, we still need to make Wu Shiguang the dragon.” Like… where was the PACING all this time?
I’m not blaming the actors. This is solely on GJM. If the promotion hadn’t emphasized equal billing, this would’ve been more acceptable. They shouldn’t have marketed it as four main leads with equal billing. I would’ve been fine with the LWY-JL couple as the main leads, if only they had been honest from the start. IF ONLY. I genuinely hope Zeng Shunxi and Chen Duling were paid accordingly, as main leads. I don’t know why I fell into the same GJM trap again. At least I was strong enough to drop FoF lol.
Besides the billing issue (which I usually don’t even care about, but this time I felt betrayed), I also hate the censorship. The Han Ba arc was clearly cut, we CAN tell. The scenes about storytelling to get the room keys were missing, and I’m sure there were more beautiful moments between Su Jian and Han Ba that got removed. Cutting it from 40 episodes down to 29 is just… painful.
Yes, some issues might be due to censorship, but a lot could have been avoided if GJM had put more effort into balancing the story and respecting all his actors. He couldn’t balance the screentime, he couldn’t balance the romance, nor balancing the dragon deity-vessel storyline. He couldn’t even balance the favouritism between his favourites. Equal billing bulls*it. Wu Shiguang, as the heir, is so underpowered that Ji Ling has to appear everywhere to solve everything and save everyone. Like… Wu Shiguang, you such a spoiled little dragon brat prince. Why are you freeloading? /s. Even in the final confrontation with Jiu Ying, he still needed Ji Ling. I get it, I get it. The fake feels like the real, and the real feels like the fake. That’s the main plot of the story.
Well, the ending is quite surprising. It’s a HAPPY ENDING by GJM standards. IYKYK lol. The fact that simply being ALIVE is considered a happy ending is wild. No one turns into dust, no one is left waiting endlessly on the stairs. It’s an open ending for the Wuwu couple, but I choose to regard it as a happy one. They get to restart, and I know Wu Shiguang would succeed in courting Wu Wangyan again. They’re fated, and no one can separate them.
As for the *main* couple, it’s a happy ending in the sense that they forget their miserable past lives and are reborn as humans, just as Lu Wuyi wished. Their wish comes true, and that last scene at the flower shop! That smile! It’s Ji Ling’s, just like the first time Lu Wuyi saw him, the form she fell in love with. That’s enough for me *ehem. I guess I have low standards.
The ending is actually a rewind timeline and a different universe (so you watched 28.5 episodes for noth—oops lol), so there’s no Li Jie, no weak You Chi, and no dead people.
You either love or hate GJM dramas. It’s ALWAYS like this. Next time (maybe for Hidden Shadow), I’d rather wait until it finishes airing before deciding if I WANT TO TORTURE MYSELF AGAIN with another draining yet beautiful drama before starting it lol.
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