A Journey to Love (2023)

A good kind of different

I don’t think I’ve watched a drama which ending I am sad about but at the same time satisfied with. This is the kind of drama that would spend most of the time building relationships, giving the kind of interactions you are looking for and watching the characters grow, so much that towards the ending, you can’t imagine a different kind of ending than the one they did in the drama.

There are so many parts to the drama which I absolutely love. Each character has their time to shine and you could see how the character grow and change throughout the drama. They may seem insignificant in the beginning but as you progress towards the end of the drama, you can’t help but see the importance of their roles. Just losing one of them would change the tone and it wouldn’t be the same. The plot is so connected to each other, it is actually a journey.

It’s not just about romance. It’s a mixture of sacrifice, comradeship and love for the country. This group of soldiers (or spies) were betrayed by their emperor but because of their trust towards their leader and the love they have for their country, they are willing to put aside that hatred and sacrifice their lives to protect the people in their country. They are a group of people who puts their country and their comradeship before anything else. As much as they dream of living a peaceful life, they knew nothing else but the chaos they lived in. It’s their calling and they recognised it. The final few episodes were the most painful parts but I do think each of this character had lived the kind of lives that fit their characters and also died for the most noble reasons. I guess they all have found their peace in the end. In a way, it’s probably the only way they could find peace in the kind of environment the country was in. Their sacrifices made a huge difference to winning the battle but there would be more battles to come and they could never truly retire even if they had survived.

This is truly one of a kind and I really think the way the drama had progressed was very meaningful and fitting. Definitely worth watching.

Read More

A journey to love yourself.

This series is one of the last to come out this year, and I didn't expect to be hit with such a captivating story only a few weeks before the new year, iQiyi jealously guarded this gem. The story itself is rather simple about two assassins, Ren Ruyi and Ning Yuan Zhou from two warring and enemy countries, Wu and An. Of course, it wouldn't be exciting if the two didn't fall for each other.

The premise begins when in a bloody battle, the Wu state loses and the Emperor is taken prisoner to the state of An.

Yuan Zhou is the former leader of the Six Dao Hall, an assassin organization, who found himself accompanying Emperor Wu during this battle and one of the only ones to survive. Long story short, he is later pressured to accompany the delegation, with the Princess Yang Ying trapped by the Empress schemes into cross-dressing as a prince, and save the Emperor. At his side are other assassins who accompany him in his task, of course the audience is led to discover each character and fall under their charms.

As for Ren Ruyi, she is a former assassin of the Scarlet Guards who had to re-infiltrate the ranks of the organization to find the murderer of the Empress of An who was like a mother to her. Due to lack of luck, she finds herself having to abandon her scheme due to circumstances that will be detailed in the series, and she cross paths with Yuan Zhou while she tries to hide. Yuan Zhou agrees to host her and eventually, through other circumstances, she accompanies the delegation to enter the state.

I won't reveal more about the story, but I will touch on a word about how their love story was. First, it doesn't seem forced, then, refreshingly, it's Ruyi who runs after Yuan Zhou, who from a charismatic leader becomes timid in the face of these attempts. The two quickly learn to understand each other due to their unique position and much is conveyed emotionally through their gestures and facial expressions. It's mature and above all healthy.
Ruyi is probably the most badass female character I've seen, they didn't try to build her reputation too much, and on the contrary let her skills do the talking to later reveal that Ruyi is in fact a legendary assassin. Yuan Zhou is equally impressive, especially his wits and adept at playing mind games with his enemies. They are a power couple in all their glory and it is a pleasure to follow them.

The pacing of the story is really good, we don't dwell endlessly on misunderstandings, it's generally resolved within one episode and we stay focused on the main story. The secondary characters are just as interesting and often touching, they all have a story that is revealed. The overall production is really good and also the fighting scene, nothing on the level of "My Journey To You" (a series released this year whose cinematography is breathtaking) but really pleasant to see.

I have mixed feelings about the ending and the last episodes though, I think the writing could have been better and it's a let down by the writers.

Read More

One of the best in 2023

Drama started very solid, good paced, good script... It's very rare CDrama to have so many characters written properly. I love the development of the characters, especially the growth of little naive princess, so so good, the actress also very good. I also love Alen Fang's character, I think this is his best performance to date. FL is also very good, stay true to it's character although out the series, (unlike every other ones that turned into a confused little damsel once the romance started, I really hate those). But it's still not as good as I hoped. I'm a very disappointed on the progress of the last 8 episodes, the drama kind of lost it's pace. Instead focusing to built a climax to the story, it felt like they're lost. I mean, couples that happily joked and tease each other and being lovey dovey in the midst of impending invasion/war, without a care, not even mourning the death their love ones , really?? Another ridiculous scene is when ML able to forged a new sword in a blink of an eye, what magic did he use 😞

Read More

Identity reveal

Supererb assassin and team oriented group. The story is indeed great that you keep on waiting for next eps everyday. Each of them carries their own task but they work as a team. The cast/ writer/director/producers are good and they support each other. Hopefully the drama continues to give us great storyline. I'm so excited for the next eps and next fighting scene because it's really awesome to watch wuxia' making move. And, I hope the princess will learn something and grow more throughout their journey not for her mission but for the Team. Hoping to see growth to each members. Goodluck!

Read More

Perfect for people who like the traditional way of fighting

This is one of the best series of 2023. If you like the sword fighting and martial arts you would love this drama. If you are someone who is attracted by someone's intelligence then u would love the characters also. The plot and twists are just worth the watch! You would not get bored if you rewatch it. Each character played by them portray a different feeling and emotion.
This is one of the best series of 2023. If you like the sword fighting and martial arts you would love this drama. If you are someone who is attracted by someone's intelligence then u would love the characters also. The plot and twists are just worth the watch! You would not get bored if you rewatch it. Each character played by them portray a different feeling and emotion.
This is one of the best series of 2023. If you like the sword fighting and martial arts you would love this drama. If you are someone who is attracted by someone's intelligence then u would love the characters also. The plot and twists are just worth the watch! You would not get bored if you rewatch it. Each character played by them portray a different feeling and emotion.
This is one of the best series of 2023. If you like the sword fighting and martial arts you would love this drama. If you are someone who is attracted by someone's intelligence then u would love the characters also. The plot and twists are just worth the watch! You would not get bored if you rewatch it. Each character played by them portray a different feeling and emotion.
This is one of the best series of 2023. If you like the sword fighting and martial arts you would love this drama. If you are someone who is attracted by someone's intelligence then u would love the characters also. The plot and twists are just worth the watch! You would not get bored if you rewatch it. Each character played by them portray a different feeling and emotion.

Read More

Best Costume Drama of 2023

Things to like

- As an original piece there's no spoilers, or petty arguments as to whether it's true to the original, the plot line is well paced and the character development sound.
- Liu ShiShi has improved so much, thought it might just be rose tinted specs so actually re-watched brotherhood of blades and yup definitely a better actress than she was!
- The fight scenes, OK non of them are Jet Li but the fight choreographer did a stellar job translating the character's role into their fighting style, e.g. Ren Ru Yi is an assassin so she goes for precise cuts and slashes to the throat/head, thought has gone into this and makes it more immersive.
- No padding, so many dramas today are filled with silly flashbacks and musical interludes, so far the musical segments are there to help convey a scene's emotion and the flashbacks are part of the story rather than just re-editing old scenes to stretch things out. In fact there are so many details on screen and in dialog went back and re-watched the whole thing whilst waiting for episodes 19 and 20.
- Liu Yuning's commitment, he's not the best actor in the world by a long shot but you can see the effort he's put into this production, it's not like he's phoning it in (looking at you Ren Jia Lun!), don't really get the hate he's receiving. Shisan is the pretty boy in this drama and LYN's character is the leader of the hell path of a paramilitary organisation what do people expect some one like that to look like? if anything Liu ShiShi is way too pretty to play a crimson guard left envoy (that is until you see the fight scenes then it all becomes believable again!)
- Cinematography, its a 40 episode web/TV production rather than a movie so the budget only goes so far but a few green screen scenes aside it looks good.

Things I didn't like

- The silly sound effects acompanying the comedic moments

Read More

The overall performance was mind blowing

I must confess, I developed a keen attraction to each and every one of them, the acting and directing was a 10/10, the ending was overly rushed I had to take a break. The Fl almost made me a lesbian lol , the male lead was something else he mad me straight again haha.. he is the love of my life
The princess growth is a thing of fancy I hope the actress gets good deals she’s really an item.
And to the producers thanks for breaking our hearts and making us fall deeply in love.
I think I should be employed to give this dramas a better name, cause the drama name wasn’t just it cause I am about to go Jeffery dhamer

Read More

Well i think is still worth it

I loved this drama from the first episode. while it has some plot flaws like the ltg plot that was just bad, better storytelling could have emerged if they hadn't focused so much on his obsession with ruyi. overall, it's a very good drama, and i adore the dynamics of the characters and has a very good storytelling

My disappointment comes from the last episodes, not because of the deaths – i genuinely enjoy angst – but because of how it was executed. using the impact of sadness seemed like an overused trope in such a short time. up until episode 34, the pacing was excellent, but it felt rushed with the deaths. i'm fine with deaths in historical dramas, but wiping out all of them? it saddens me because there seems to be no point in doing this to the characters. it would be much better if they were better paced it reached a point that it lost momentum for it.
These were characters i truly loved and cared about, and it had the potential to be much better ending if we compare to the beginning, despite everything i will trully miss this drama :(

Read More

This is the Best Depiction of a BADASS & SHAMELESS Couple

I've never expected much of this drama, but after reading the synopsis, I was hooked up entirely. Assassin-themed plot is my favorite and given the visuals of the supporting casts, I was more than encouraged to start this. Alright, let's just begin, shall we?

A Journey to Love was set in two fiction neighboring countries, An and Wu, who have borne longtime grudge. Okay, so the reckless Emperor of Wu decided to attack the An and look what it had become... he was kidnapped by the An who put a bounty on his head.

Meanwhile, a retired leader of Liu Dao Hall - Ning Yuanzhou, was requested to seize back his position and immediately lead the Wu diplomatic team to negotiate with the An with the hope of getting back their emperor. Aside from that, Ning Yuanzhou also encountered a badass yet shameless former An assassin (Scarlet Guard), Ren Ruyi aka Ren Xin. She grudgingly agreed to become the part of the diplomatic team after he ensured that she could leave wherever she wanted as long as she explained all sorts of things regarding the An.

Eventually, their teams consisted of the flirty Yu Shisan, the clever teenager Yuan Lu, the stoic Qian Zhao, the cheerful Sun Lang, and also the lonely princess of the Wu, Yang Ying. Together, they embarked on a journey and shared the moments of joy and sorrow together. At the country of An, their band expanded to the brave Chu Yue and the delulu Li Tongguang.

Eventually, the mastermind would be the Emperor of An and the second prince of An whose mother was Ruyi's former superior. It is quite predictable, but of course, we need evidence and proves to make sure they're the culprit. Nonetheless, it's still very twisty, though.

The bloodbath in the last episodes was unnecessary at all. Why should you kill those characters who only had their developments after venturing into An? To me, it's unacceptable. However, the writers perhaps thought that they've died as patriotic heroes and have no regrets to die for the country. In my opinion, Ruyi and Yuanzhou could've been dead after the attack of the Beipan. I previously thought that they were going to live in seclusion after everything was settled. But fate was playing a cruel joke on them. That's my only disappointment, though.

Acting is bearable and I've got no trouble regarding it. In fact, I didn't feel the main leads' chemistry despite their flirty actions. On the other hand, I would like to appreciate Liu Shishi for playing such a badass girl like Ruyi. She is fit for this kind of character and I'll will be waiting for her in 'Kill My Sins' and 'Fox Spirit Matchmaker 2'. Liu Yuning did perfectly in his first ever lead role and he looked charismatic too. The MVP here might be Yang Ying, portrayed flawlessly by He Landou. She has the most character development here, from the shy and lonely princess to a brave and decisive prince. Special mention for Chang Huasen who played the delusional Li Tongguang too perfectly. I really rooted on him and couldn't help to like him. The master-disciple dynamic between Ruyi and him is one of the good aspects of this drama. I can even feel their chemistry. :)

Opening OST is the best, which is sung by Liu Yuning (aside from beautiful voice, he's good in acting. He's an excellent all-rounder (reminded me of Mo Qingcheng in Love Me, Love My Voice)).

Despite the bloodbath, I still love this series. Overall, a ten out of ten. However, I need to use fast-forward button in order to watch quickly (due to my tight schedule and exam last year). If you love this kind of plot, you won't regret this. My suggestion is to give this a shot and you'll be entertained in no time. Good luck in watching.

P.S.
Surprisingly, I didn't use the fast forward button in Li Tongguang's scene. He's just too pitiful to be skipped forward. Wkwkwkwkwk.

Read More