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It’s the journey, not the destination
What a journey it has been for our main characters! It was one full of laughter, tears, love and friendship. The main cast did a spectacular job portraying characters whom I loved so much. You have equally strong male and female leads who stand strong on their own, but together, are unstoppable. The supporting leads were the cherry on top that made the story extra vibrant with their individual quirks and growth.As much I was invested in the series, there were definitely parts that were lacking. Considering the strong introduction and plot development in the beginning, it fell short towards the latter third of the series. I was disappointed with the slow pacing of some scenes, anti-climatic showdowns, and lack of character development (i.e. Li Tong Guang). They could’ve scrapped some filler scenes and used that time to focus on what was more important.
After watching the last ep in full, I can accept the outcome for what it was. I interpreted it as RY and the fab 5 dying for the greater good with their heroic sacrifices, and reuniting in paradise. They all achieved what they set out to do and died without regrets, and so, it was a HE in its own way. However, they could’ve done a much better job wrapping up the series. They completely glossed over clearing NYZ’s brothers’/friends’ names, which was the main reason NYZ accepted the task in the first place. This deserved a whole scene where the names are cleared publicly.
I have my gripes about the show, but overall, still love the series very much. The mature love story, brotherhood, beautiful martial arts choreography and acting made this journey memorable.
Shoutout to the lovable characters:
Ru Yi - LSS never disappoints with the action scenes, love a badass FL who is strong and intelligent, defying the expectations of women in the era
NYZ - LYN did a great job in his first leading wuxia role. His character really set the bar too high for men, he is the dream man, almost too perfect. I love the mutual understanding and bond he shared with RY and the bros.
Shi San - Prob my fave character in the series. He made me laugh so hard and I always looked forward to his scenes. Definitely way better than the actor’s other role in The Long Ballad, which allowed him to showcase his potential. This is a great example of a secondary role that shines despite not being the main lead.
Yuan Lu - The happy vitamin of the group. It’s not hard to see why everyone adores him. His positive outlook in life and wisdom beyond his years was what made his character so wonderful.
QZ - The master of the RBF and side eye. Despite his stoic nature, his eyes really speak. He also seems to know all the gossip. The stark contrast between him and Shi San made it even more humorous.
Sun Lang - Fluffy and cute just like the animals he adores. A bit dense in certain matters, but his pure nature is what makes him adorable.
YY - The character with the most wonderful character development. She was a diamond in the rough who really shined. This is my first time watching this actress, and she did an amazing job! I can only see her continuing to amaze viewers with her range in acting.
LTG - The character who had the most potential yet fell to the back burner. I did not mind him being fixated on RY, in fact, his unwavering love/obsession was quite impressive. However, I wished they had fleshed out his character more as he could have had a bigger role in the main plot. Very unfortunate.
To conclude, I recommend this series if you want a good wuxia drama packed with action and romance/bromance. A great drama to end the year of 2023.
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Better then Scarlet Heart Ryeo
people are saying this is CDrama version of Scarlet Heart Ryeo. NO it is not.you will love all the character. ALL THE CHARACTERS. theyre officially BangTan Seonyeondan of Wuxia going on a suicide mission with a badass lady and her badass disciple.
you join them in their journey, got attached, and they all will die at the end. BEAUTIFULLY.
those who said it is open ended; NO it is not.
the child is not NYZ+RRY child, he is a symbol that even after 10 years, those who you love will always be in your memories and their traces is anywhere. you will reminisce them from time to time. you will be reminded of them in everything you do.
he is a reminder to us that a good drama journey will end, and that in future you will meet another great drama having same good details from old one.
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Best c-drama of 2023 (without a doubt)
If you haven’t watched this, do yourself a favor and clear a few hours or 10. This is probably the only drama I’ll rewatch from this year. Badass female lead, badass male lead. Fantastic everything. A journey to love is just *chef’s kiss*.First costume drama (ever??) with a healthy relationship between the ML and FL. I wish all women (and men if that’s your thing) can have a Boss Ning in their life. The casting is just so, so, so, good. I miss the squad. I’m mentally preparing for them to die. But good news! Go back to episode 1 and there they are all again! I hope this comes to Netflix so the world can see how good Liu Yu Ning and rest of crew are. I hope they cast him as an immortal somewhere. And throw in the squad please! Seems to be a happy ending, or so I’m going to interpret all the reviews so far.
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HIGHLY RECOMMENDED CDRAMA
If you're a fan of historical or Chinese dramas, then I highly recommend one of the best C-dramas out there. Even if you're not typically a fan of Chinese dramas, I encourage you to be open-minded and give this one a chance. You might just discover that Chinese dramas are truly awesome! This Cdrama features action-packed scenes and superpowers, but what stands out are the themes of romance, friendship, and stunning ancient fashion.It is so sad that this drama will end in 30+ episodes only, but still, I hope the authors and director of the said drama will not disappoint us in the end. Hoping for a happy ending. I've been waiting for Liu Yu Ning to be the Male Lead since he got the auras and amazing presence in the 'Who rules the World' chinese drama. Now the time comes for this drama and his time to be a Male Lead, hoping for a happy ending?, if not, our heart will be broken into pieces, chaarrr! Hahahaha
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All was good until they started killing them one by one
I enjoyed the first part very much and the romance potential from different characters along with what seemed a great plot had me very interested. Then the second male lead starts going too crazy about his master and it starts to be a bit off. There are moments where he seems to recover and in the next episode loses it again. Then it's like "OK we had enough fun so let's start killing the good guys one at a time with so many twists that you get dizzy". The Best Actress award goes to the young princess.Was this review helpful to you?
You won't regret the journey watching this drama
This show captivates from the very first episode. The costumes and cinematography are excellent, and the actors are perfectly cast, delivering stellar performances. The cast is not only talented but also very good looking. The story is beautifully written, and the acting is top notch.The action scenes left me breathless and cheering. The bromance made me smile, the comedic moments had me laughing out loud, and the sweet scenes made my heart flutter. When Ruyi and Chief Ning gaze and smile at each other, it made me smile too! Their chemistry is undeniable.
The individual stories and character development made me root for them and love them. This investment in the characters is why their struggles broke my heart into tiny pieces and brought me to tears. Every twist and turn in their journey kept me on the edge of my seat, fully immersed in their world.
The soundtrack also deserves a mention. The music perfectly complements the mood of each scene, enhancing the emotional impact. The attention to detail in every aspect of the production is evident and adds to the overall enjoyment of the series.
The ending wasn’t what I expected, and I know many were disappointed. Without giving any spoilers, I hoped for a different conclusion. However, the final scene highlighted the enduring brotherhood and love between the characters, which softened the sting of the preceding events. The journey to the end was filled with so many memorable moments that I couldn't help but appreciate the story as a whole.
Despite my mixed feelings about the ending, I highly recommend this series. It's definitely one of my favorites. The blend of action, comedy, romance, and drama creates a rich and engaging narrative that is sure to leave a lasting impression.
Not perfect but give it go. You won't regret it.
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Thanks for coming into my life
This drama made me laugh just as hard as it made me cry my eyes out. 10/10 would recommend.What a painfully perfect way to start 2024. I loved this drama from start to finish so I want to sing its praises since it’s not often I binge a 40 episode c-drama and don’t feel I’ve totally just wasted my time.
The plot is both simple, easy to understand whilst also being pretty complicated, as it talks about the intricacies of human relationships in relations to royal families, war, politics, found family and of course romance. There were beautifully executed fight scenes, tearful moments and very unexpectedly funny scenes. Like I had moment where I’d burst out into laughter after a scene being completely unexpected.
Every person in this drama has a personality, they all have feelings and emotions that justify their beliefs and decisions. There’s no saintly good person, and there’s no blindly evil character.
Now, onto the main couple, Ning Yuanzhou and Ren Ruyi. Their acting both as individuals and a couple was amazing. The chemistry was passionate and strong, and they were just as strong alone. Their relationship was built on mutual love and respect for one another and it remained that way throughout. I loved their romantic build up, the actual relationship and the way it progressed, I was in love with absolutely everything about their love.
Ruyi, our fl, is badass personified. A strong, powerful assassin to the end, and she was never made to appear weak or incapable due to falling in love. If anything love made her a more thoughtful, impactful person.
Ning Yuanzhou, the ml, is also a strong person who values deep human relationships above all else. He never wavers when it come to defending his family, even if that means staring down the fricking emperor. The respect he has for Ruyi was so swoonworthy and cute, I was quite literally kicking my feet and giggling whilst being slightly upset that he is a fictional character.
I mean where does one find a man who sees me as an individual, and constantly encourages, loves and supports me no matter what, whilst also being outrageously fine af (I say as someone with 0 experience lol). I can’t put it into words how perfect this man was to me. *tearful emoji*
On another hand, the entire cast of the drama were enjoyable. Nobody bored me and although some did annoy me, it just added to the enjoyability of the whole drama.
The extensive soundtrack of this drama was flawlessly beautiful. It was impactful, perfectly timed and honestly just sounded amazing.
To conclude, 40 episodes wasn’t enough. For my piece of mind, I need at least another episode so I can see in detail how everyone’s lives turned out. (Preferably another like 10 episodes but that’s pretty unlikely ik lol).
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Totally worth it!!
-A journey to love
Based on the title itself, I'm asking myself, whose journey is this? The answer is crystal clear after watching this couple times: Ruyi! It's not about Boss Ning or the other brothers. Ruyi as the best assassin (been mentioned multiple times since beginning till the end) originally doesn’t know what is love. She only knows about killing, following orders, and gets the job done. She is so used to work by herself and doesn't know how to react to NYZ's jealousy except by being angry, leading to their "breakup.” Only later on, she learns that she is not alone. When NYZ is trying to decide for her, what's the best for them and their relationship, it doesn't feel right in Ruyi's heart at first. However, in their journey as a couple, Ruyi learns to trust him and sees his point of views.
A journey to love: love your partner, your friends, your community and most importantly, yourself! Ruyi needs to learn all of that. The whole series show her progress from being alone to be able to accept others.
To me, it's a very deep self-reflection question asked by NYZ to Ruyi about the reasons behind the last messages from Empress of An to her. It's also the beginning of her journey to learn to love herself. NYZ and the bond he has with all his "brothers" are all crucial for Ruyi's journey.
Ruyi's character development is wonderful, making her more like human, not only cold blooded assassin. She feels the pain of losing people who is dear to her. She allows NYZ to deal with LTG. She is afraid NYZ gets hurt during the war, etc.
This drama is 10/10 for me. Lots of wisdoms and lessons learned throughout the drama. Exceptional bonds of the brothers. People come and go in our lives but the good memories last forever. Finding true friends is definitely priceless. All the actors and actresses perfectly show their emotions so we as viewers can truly feel their feelings: the joy/pain/sorrow/love/hope/fear. Kudos to all of them. Then, there's the songs. Each background songs and sounds are perfectly played. Heroic fighting scenes. Cool weapons. Beautiful costumes.
In the last episode, the drama portrays the casualties of the wars. Since episodes 35-40, lots of death. It's really depressing, but that's the reality of wars. The scene feels so real, so sad, and painfully heartbreaking.
Now about the ending: The conversations between CY and the boy are in the real life, not a dream of CY.
Couple main reasons why I believe that:
1. It's obvious that Ruyi believes suicide is for the weak! She will not betray her beliefs. She's been true to herself from the beginning. That clue makes me think yes, she survived the explosion.
2. When the boy mentions his name, CY right away asks if his mother's last name is Ren? She knows straightaway Ruyi is still alive. Her surprise facial expression is more like, "is this real?!" kinda feeling because after so many years, she's surprisingly able to possibly meet Ruyi and NYZ again. Another clues that make me considering she knows that Ruyi is alive is when she stops YY from stopping Ruyi to go to the camp. She knows she can't change Ruyi's decisions. Tbh, I believe even LTG and YY know that Ruyi is planning to fake her deaths and withdrawing herself for good afterwards. Why so? LTG being so devoted to his master will never allow Ruyi to go to suicide mission unless he knows that Ruyi plans to withdraw herself with NYZ who miraculously survived the tower attacks. YY also said she believes Ruyi is the best assassin in the world and will successfully finish the mission.
3. The boy is giving so clear and detailed informations about his family. The boy also mentions his dad loves his sister the most, indicating NYZ is alive too. Last name: Ning. Dad can only be NYZ. Both kids name have Shisan (from Yu Shisan) and Lu (Yuan Lu). For CY to have a dream out of nowhere like some people think, I will have to disagree. The scene where CY sees the rest of the gang behind Ruyi and NYZ, I will interpret that as she believes they're the ones who protects Ruyi and NYZ to survive. The 4 brothers will always on their back. The vast green land (peaceful place) is also the perfect place to think like that as all 6 of them really contribute to the peace they have now.
This series is indeed a journey to love for our main lead, Ruyi. I also think it’s still a happy ending, at least for the main leads and many other people (netizens of both An and Wu).
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You pay for every single laugh you had with your tears
A beautiful drama in every way. It is different from most other historical cdramas that i have watched in many aspects. Firstly, the story's main characters are people who despite being in high positions, have to constantly fight in the frontline, which is something rarely shown. So we see the entire drama from the point of view of a group of spies/soldiers and an extraordinary assassin, who are all mere servants to the higher powers, whose lives don't belong to themselves. It was a fresh take to watch a drama in which the topmost people aren't everything. The kings, princes and other sheltered people aren't the main characters, rather it is a story of how these lower level people have to sacrifice themselves to protect the bigger fishes and citizens in general.Story and characters: As beautifully it is written is it executed, unlike most cdramas where either the story is trash or is its execution. The story builds up while holding all our feelings in a grip for the first few episodes. The pacing is perfect. It portrayed romantic love, familial affection, brotherhood and friendship in a wonderful way. Also, no character is pure black or white, they all have good and bad in them together, well except maybe the An king. Almost all of them show growth in some way too. The FL is a true badass strong female character worth everything, i didn't expect that Ruyi would steal my heart. She deserved every bit of the respect and love she got from all the characters, including the ml. Nobody was shallow enough to love her solely for her beauty, unlike in most cdramas. The ML is just as strong and endearing. Their feelings develop rather quick, and they stick through thick and thin together and both show growth in areas they lack, they come to trust, understand and rely on each other, make sacrifices and compromises for one another, empower and balance each other, aid and grow together. They are equal, and show mutual respect for each other and their choices and have clear communication the entire time. Both are in tune with each other in every way. They are a mature couple and it helped that they weren't playing teenage characters, rather people almost in their 30s. They were people who had gone through a lot already in their own lives and knew their possible fates. The other main characters Yuan Lu, Yu Shisan were particularly very adorable, Sun Lang had lesser scenes but just as likeable, Qian Zhao was a 2d character who had much growth and different sides to him. Yang Ying was a complicated character who perhaps had the greatest character growth, i grew to like her quite a bit. Li Tongguang was another complicated obsessed to borderline crazy one, he was the typical crazy 2ml, but he wasn't the smartest. He was actually awful and incompetent and i hate him for his decisions which grew more stupid one by one, which led to disasters. I felt so bad for Chu Yue as well, she was so likeable, yet her romance ended before it could even blossom. The wu emperor grew on me as well when he redeemed himself. As befitting as the ending was, it was simply tragic to the point of extremely depressing and those characters didn't deserve that especially when so many deaths could've been easily avoided if the writers wanted to. The series of tragedy began in ep 35 and spanned for 6 whole episodes till 40, there were a few sweet moments in ep 38 though. The pain hit like a truck for real. Those subtle scenes, those reminiscent moments by the characters, them knowingly jumping to their deaths, the realizations of what is going to happen was just so painful. Also, so many deaths could've been prevented, but well that wouldn't cause as much heartbreak then.
This drama made me grow to fall in love with the entire group, with countless hilarious moments, them being like a real family to each other to losing them one by one in a torturous series of 6 eps. And although they showed an open ending, i took it as the logical and rational sad ending as stipulated outwardly by the iqiyi page. So i cried more. But it depends on the viewer about how they want to interpret the ending. At least they are together somewhere.
Production- Cinematography, choreography, editing, soundtrack, costumes and styling and makeup, you name it. Everything was freaking top notch, perfection. I really have nothing to say about the acting of the main cast, they all did phenomenal job. It was LYN's first time being the main male lead and he aced his role. LSS was simply perfect. FYL did a great job with his micro expressions.
They wanted us to cry and they did exactly what was needed. Made us love all the characters then killed them off slowly, prolonging the torture. The heading of my review is what i felt the most watching this. I laughed in 30+ episodes and then spent the last 6 episodes crying, bawling my eyes out. Honestly i don't remember the last time i cried this much over a drama. Do i recommend watching it? Hell yes i do. But maybe stop at ep 34 midway. Else get ready with tissues, chances are your pillows can't soak up all the tears. -0.5 for all the heartbreak it caused me and to the characters who deserved better and an ending that could've been better than this.
This wasn't a drama about all the characters finding love on their way by the end of the show, rather one where no matter what the future held, everyone loved the journey to the end. A journey to be loved, rather than a journey towards finding love. That's how i interpret the title 'A Journey to Love'.
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RuyiZhou, my Heart!!
A Journey To Love is one of the BEST historical drama out there. This is the first time I'm writing a review but this show seriously deserves it!! This show is action-packed, contains such a heartfelt love story you can't help but be encapsulated!! Seriously, a female lead who doesn't bow down in danger and knows what she wants , a rare gem in Cdramas. You can't help but fall in love with the supporting characters, the writing allows each character to shine in its own way, giving the watcher so much information on every individual and laying it out perfectly!! The FL, Ren Ruyi has SO much depth, she kills without remorse and doesn't hesitate, (I might be a little problematic for liking this, but whatever!!) The ML Yuan Zhou, ugh I started not liking him in the beginning but came to love him just as much as Ruyi. His character is so compassionate and genuine, a perfect balance to Ruyi's persistent personality. Each episode had me HOOKED, not a single skip, coming from someone who skips a lot in dramas like this. Please, if you're looking for an attention-grabbing historical Cdrama, this is one of the best, if it wasn't for my personal bias for "Love Like the Galaxy", this would be number 1 on my list.Was this review helpful to you?
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The powerful and bad-ass wuxia couple of the 2023!!!❤️
*** Spoiler Alert (PERSONAL FEEDBACK)Title : A Journey to Love – 2023 (Complete 40 Episode)
Personal Rating : 9.5/10
The powerful and bad-ass wuxia couple of the 2023!!!❤️
Ren Ru Yi / Ren Xin (Liu Shi Shi) is a beautiful, smart and the best female assassin of AN State. She is also the former Scarlet Guard Left Emissary.
Ning Yuan Zhou (Played by Liu Yu Ning) is the smart and powerful leader of the WU State's Liu Dao Hall. He was the former deputy chief of Liu Dao Hall till he was imprisoned and framed by the other Liu Dao Hall leader.
This drama is about Ren Ru Yi and Ning Yuan Zhou falling in love while in a journey from WU State to AN State.
It started when the Emperor of WU State was lost in the war due to his mis planning and underestimating the enemy. The Wu Emperor was taken as a hostage by the AN State and AN state is asking for a ransom, but it should be given/envoy by WU Prince. Princess Yang Ying volunteer to be the envoy and pretended to be a prince. The princess was promised to be given something in return if she fulfilled her mission.
Upon knowing that Princess Yang Ying volunteer to be the envoy and the Heaven Path guards died without dignity and called as traitor, Ning Yuan Zhou re-join the Liu Dao Hall as the Chief. He will escort Princess Yang Ying who she treated as his own little sister and bring the Emperor back to WU state so he can announce that Heaven Path guards are loyal, brave and died at the line of duty. He started his journey by forming his own team of guards from the Liu Dao Hall. ( Delegation Team )
(Yu Shi San – Asura Path , Yuan Lu – Hungry Ghost Path , Qian Zhao – Heaven Path , Sun Lang – Human Path)
Ren Ru Yi was on his way to AN state to revenge the death of the Empress of AN (she treated as mother) and to know who killed all the White Sparrow guards in WU State branch. On her way to AN State, she was asked by Ning Yuan Zhou to assist Princess Yang Ying regarding all information about AN State and on return, Ning Yuan Zhou will help her to get all the information on who killed the Empress of AN. She joined the Delegation Team and has one more wish to fulfill (wish by Empress of AN - to have a child), she wanted to have a child with Ning Yuan Zhou.
Overall, this is one of the best Wuxia dramas for me. I can give it a 10/10 but the ending is so sad, so I gave it 9.5/10. Don't get me wrong it should be 10/10 even it has a sad ending but because they died separately and didn't see each other till their last moment that's why I gave it a 9.5.?
The story was superb, the actors & actresses embodied characters so well. Each character is unique. I love the brotherhood of the Luidao hall guards. They respect, understand, trust, and support each other till death. (LITERALLY TILL DEATH!) ??
I love the couple too because even though they are both powerful they can still protect each other. Both can rest assured that they have each other’s back, and they can understand each other since they are both leaders. They treat each other as partners/equals.
Honestly, I hate sad and tragic endings but A Journey to Love is different. It was a hell of rollercoaster emotions. I cried a bucket like a baby and laughed a lot throughout the episodes. I recommend it to all the Wuxia drama lovers. Don't mind the negativity because you will missed a GEM. The actions scenes are top notch. I kept on repeating it. Hahahaha! The ending could be better but still it is one of the best for me. ? This is my first drama of both the LEAD now I am a fan. ?
P.S – I was a bit lost about the ending, I read and asked some viewers about their understanding about the ending. So, I’ll go with this – Maybe it is just coincidence that both kids are named REN LU & NING SHISAN because they are named after famous heroes. (REN RU YI , YUAN LU) & (NING YUAN ZHOU , YU SHISAN).
GENRE – Romance, Wuxia, Drama, Political
OST -- Offer by Liu Yu Ning (Got me hooked and heartbroken at the same time whenever I listen to it)
LEAD CAST – Liu Yu Ning , Liu Shi Shi
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