A Journey to Love (2023)

Thrills, Feels and R.I.P.s on the Journey!

So, I just finished AJTL, and wow, it really keeps you hooked from beginning to end! It mixes excitement with some touching moments and strong character connections, so there's never a dull moment. The plot has plenty of surprises, but I have to say, the writers killing off so many important characters left me with a bit of a bittersweet feeling.

Let’s talk characters:

Ren Ru Yi/Ren Xin is the female lead, and she’s such a breath of fresh air! She starts off as a skilled assassin with trust issues, but her growth into a team player who learns to trust others is really something special.

Ning Yuan Zhou, the male lead, is everything you want in a guy! He goes from being kind of distant to super cute and clingy, which adds a nice charm to the story.

The supporting cast is a real highlight too. They bring more than just laughs; there's some solid character development, especially with the princess. Even characters you think are annoying at first, like LTG, really grow and add depth to the whole narrative.

And can we talk about the acting? The performances are top-notch! The main actress is a veteran who really shines, and the less experienced male lead has great chemistry with her. The whole cast really works well together, making the characters feel real.

The music deserves a shout-out too. The soundtrack is fantastic and adds so much to the series. It’s sung by LYN, who also happens to be the male lead, which just makes it even better.

Overall, AJTL is a fantastic series that blends excitement, character growth, and meaningful relationships. Sure, the character deaths might be a bit much for some, but the smart storytelling, amazing acting, and great music make it a journey definitely worth taking. The characters break the usual molds, and the soundtrack just enhances everything. Highly recommend it!

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A train that derailed but spilled some gems along the way

I am so conflicted writing this review. Overall I'd say the drama made a positive impression but felt unbalanced. So many things were done very well, but it often was at the expense of other important aspects.

The good:
- The message I got from this story was to find your own path to happiness and live with no regrets. I think the drama did a wonderful job conveying that. We all have the choice to shape our lives into what we want it to be. We just have to have the courage to take the reins.
- Character development and arcs of the female characters. Watching Yang Ying grow into her own shoes and take command of her life and watching Ru Yi find her own version of happiness outside the Empress's last words were probably the most satisfying and fleshed out parts of the story.
- A healthy relationship between the leads. This is peak romance. Find me a man like Ning Yuan Zhou.
- Music. It took a while to grow on me, but it was the lyrics that eventually made me cave in. Catch me singing "Half a Lifetime of Suffering" any time, any day.

The not so good:
- Everyone dies for no good reason. I'm not against people dying, but I have a bone to pick when it feels like the only reason they died was to serve as a plot device to make the story a tragedy. Most of their deaths felt so ridiculous and unnecessary. Maybe their sacrifice would've been more impactful if the pacing near the end was better, but a lot of it fell flat for me. Character deaths need to feel meaningful, significant, and impactful. Squeezing all their deaths into the last episodes undermined everything the story had built up to that point.
- Character development and arcs of Li Tong Guang and Qian Zhao. On one hand, I admire that these two mostly stayed exactly the same for most of the drama. On the other hand...... why??? There was so much potential here. Li Tong Guang could've grown out of his obsession for his master sooner (arguably if at all) and matured into a wonderful young man (and had a beautiful relationship with Yang Ying). Instead, he was this lost, stupid little lovesick puppy until the very end. Ugh. Also, Qian Zhao could've learned from his impulsiveness when he tried to kill Ru Yi and later not threaten Wu's king. It was hard to feel for his death when he tried to kill the king one minute and died protecting the king five minutes later. Like so many confusing signals here. I can kinda understand where the writers were going with him, but it wasn't presented well.
- The pacing. Things were generally fine in the beginning, but man did it go off the rails near the end. The first time they did a montage of the political events, I thought I'd accidentally clicked on a trailer for the next episode. It felt like a rushed info dump. And it happened at least three more times. I also feel like they could've spent more time with Yu Shi San/Chu Yue and Yang Ying/Li Tong Guang. Like I know we love the main leads, but the other couples need some attention too. It felt like the writers wanted the main couple's deaths to be as dramatic as possible, so they really beefed up their romantic scenes in both length and quantity. I never thought I'd complain about too many main couple romantic scenes, but here I am...
- That tacky map showing their travel route. Okay, I admit I'm nitpicking here, but tell me why they couldn't make a better map?? Even a cutesy one with bouncing horses pulling the carriage would've been better.

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A gripping journey to love, friendship, and growth

"A Journey to Love" is the last drama that I completed in 2023, a few days before the new year. Initially, I was thinking whether to continue after 8 episodes, because I had a vague idea of the ending after seeing some comments in passing. I decided to carry on, and I'm glad that I finished it!

Story and Production:
1) The storyline is intriguing and not very common since a big part of it is focused on the mission to rescue the hostaged King of Wu (Wu Di), the obstacles the rescue team faced along the way, and how they overcame them. As a result, their relationships grew stronger and they gained a better understanding of each other. On the side, there were some mysteries that needed to be solved.

2) There is great camaraderie and friendship among the Liu Dao Hall members. It's touching to see their loyalty and brotherly love for one another, as well as their commitment to protect Li Wang/Yang Ying and the entire rescue team.

3) The drama showed different kinds of relationships – leader and subordinate, master and disciple, friendship among peers, and love between man and woman. These are common in costume dramas, but I think they’re well done here.

4) It took the rescue team quite a number of episodes to finally arrive in the state of An, so I found myself getting impatient at some points in the drama.

5) There are incredible fight and battle scenes here! The choreography and stunt work are great, and the cast look so cool and amazing in these scenes.

6) Generally good soundtrack! My favorites are the opening theme, “Offer” (奉上), sung by Liu Yu Ning, and “Standing Sword” (立剑), sung by Zhang Jie. I also like the background music played in some of Ren Ru Yi’s fight scenes; it’s a haunting prelude on what’s to come next.

Cast of Characters:
The entire cast was great, I like the main leads, but my favorites are Yu Shi San, Yang Ying, Li Tong Guang and Yuan Lu:

1) Ning Yuan Zhou (Liu Yu Ning) and Ren Xin/Ren Ru Yi (Cecilia Liu) – Both their characters have excellent martial arts skills and are respected and feared by many. NYZ is level-headed, mature and a good leader. RRY is precise, appears cold and can be ruthless, which fits her character as the number one assassin of An. Between the two, NYZ was more used to working with a team, while RRY was more used to doing things on her own. When RRY joined the rescue team, it took her some time to adjust to “group work”. I couldn’t imagine other actors playing them.

2) Yu Shi San (Alen Fang) – He is funny, witty and a vain ladies' man. He gave me a good laugh many times! Alen Fang is such a revelation here, and his character is so different from the one in The Long Ballad (can’t help comparing them, because Liu Yu Ning and Alen Fang are in both dramas). He’s so good in comedy, but also delivered in the emotional scenes.

3) Yang Ying (He Lan Dou) – She transformed from a timid, shy young lady to a confident, smart, brave and decisive Li Wang/Princess Li Cheng. What she said to NYZ and RRY about herself is very fitting, "You have transformed a small sparrow in a cage into an eagle; I can no longer go back." I like He Lan Dou’s portrayal, she’s so good, and one of the few actresses who, when dressed as a man, is actually convincing.

4) Li Tong Guang (Chang Hua Sen) – He is capable and ambitious, but also obsessed and unpredictable at times. His character is complex, multifaceted, and have a lot of potential for growth and development, but I feel these were not maximized. They focused too much on his obsession with RRY. I think Chang Hua Sen nailed the part.

5) Yuan Lu (Chen You Wei) – He is a smart, loyal, jolly and kind-hearted fellow. It’s easy to warm up to him. Chen You Wei was able to bring out these qualities.

--- Some SPOILERS below ---


Some OTP/Pairings:
1) Ning Yuan Zhou and Ren Ru Yi – They are the power couple! Their relationship was not perfect, there were some amusing things that happened and bumps along the way, but they got around to it.

2) Li Tong Guang and Chu Yue – I was rooting for them since I can feel their chemistry, although they were hostile to each other in their first few meetings. And when they started to be cordial to each other, they had some sweet and cute scenes, so I was hoping for a love line to develop. But alas, the ship didn't sail!

3) Li Tong Guang and Yang Ying – In the earlier episodes, I had entertained the idea that they might be paired together, but I was still mildly surprised when it happened (I guess I was still reeling from the LTG and CY pairing). Don't get me wrong, this is a good pairing and they have chemistry too, so I started to ship them as soon as I feel the plot going in that direction, because they actually complement each other. Both LTG and YY are smart, capable and ambitious. However, LTG is temperamental, impulsive at times, and not yet mature emotionally; while YY has a cool head, emotionally stable, and has matured a lot in her journey. She would be a great help to him in his role as Regent of An.

4) Yang Ying and Yuan Lu – Theirs is a friendship that was comfortable, supportive and dependable. It could possibly have been more, but it was not meant to be.

Other Comments:
1) I like the development arc of Wu Di, how he changed from a reckless, arrogant, and unwise ruler to one who realized his mistakes and actually did something to atone for them. He could have been a great king if he returned to Wu, so it’s a waste what they did to his character.

2) The ending and the last few episodes could have been better executed. It's like they rushed these scenes and tried to cramp the remaining details to fit them into 40 episodes.

3) I wish they included more scenes of LTG and YY in the ending, how they progressed as a couple and how they’re helping the young King of An. There is mutual respect between them, not to mention respect for both RRY and NYZ. I would like to think that in the long run, they would fall in love with each other and grow as a couple, even have children of their own.

Final Verdict: This is a gripping drama and a good watch for me, so I would gladly recommend it!

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Enjoyable until they butchered it

This was an interesting drama. You have two leads who are incredibly strong and remain strong throughout the drama. Yes, we don't get another FL who is super strong in the beginning but turn weak near the end (which is a plus).

Our two leads, both assassins, both skilled, and both vibing with each other. The relationship definitely got stagnant after they became official official. It also got tiring how many times one would nearly die throughout the drama.

The side characters for this drama has more charm than many others. I definitely adored Yang Ying the most and honestly would've loved to just continue watching her arch. She was by far the most interesting character. The trio amigos each hand their own distinct character but ultimately were boring after awhile. Shisan was really the life of the party with his player game. The Marquis guy was wishy-washy but I was lowkey starting to ship him when he was working towards sanity with a particular character.

Action sequences were okay but tiring after a certain period. There was too much time skip, repeated deaths and overall plot repeats. It was very convoluted honestly but entertaining enough.

Definitely hated the ending and the rush of the last 8 episodes.

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A worldly affairs’ story called longing

一念关山
…A Journey to Love,
…A longing to Guan Shan,
…A longing to one’s hometown.

It records the story of an assassin who learned what she truly wanted to live for other than killing, revenge and missions (oh, and child bearing), after joining Wu State’s Delegation group’s mission to save their King.
It’s the story of Ren Xin becoming Ren Ruyi.
It’s also the story of Wu State’s Delegation’s voyage.

In the first couple of episodes, AJTL didn’t waste time to introduce the story’s context and how our main cast came together. We have Princess Yang
Ying as the royal envoy and Mulan of Wu State; Ning Yuan Zhou’s respected leadership and strategic thinking skills; Yu Shi San’s charm and comic relief moments; Yuan Lu’s intricate and fascinating inventions; Sun Lang’s near-impregnable and often-overlooked defense; Qian Zhao’s jack of all trades’ capability; and Ren Ruyi’s knowledge of An State political affairs.

Oh, what dream team.
Oh, how I love the pacing (early parts), the cinematography, the dynamics, and their sense of humour in these early days.

Shoutout to the screenwriters for the sincerity in giving us non-NPC supporting characters.
Shoutout to the cast for bringing their characters alive on screen, especially He Lan Dou, the actress who portrayed Princess YY.
Shoutout to the directors who captured them well.
Shoutout to the OSTs - Richie, Nicholas, Liu Yuning, Zhang Jie! I love the BGMs too.

If these aren’t enough to hook you in, wait till episode 8 when the first battle and crisis happened. Each and everyone had their moment to shine as they faced a highly disadvantaged battle. Even Minister Du who is the supporting cast and Princess Yang Ying who was a crybaby had logical and satisfying contribution to their hard earned victory.

While the story quality remained on a passable high bar thereafter, I somehow steadily lost part of my momentum and interest halfway way through - starting from around the time when NYZ and RY got together, and Li Tong Guang, Ren Xin’s delulu’s disciple, came into the picture.

First on NYZ and RY’s coupleship
For the record, they are one of the healthiest couple I admire, love, and wish to have. NYZ and RY had similar background, and thus intuitively understood each other. They had complementary strengths that made 1 plus 1 more than 2. There were lots of instances where RY helped NYZ do things he wanted to but couldn’t in his position. They had matured conversations when met with challenges.

Maybe it’s the CP vibe and on screen chemistry. Unfortunately something feels lacking for me and I can’t put a finger to it. Liu Yu Ning and Liu Shi Shi portrayal was fine. I just feel neutral most of the time watching their couple’s moments.

Surprisingly, I shipped Princess YY and YL more. And they only had 2 HTHT scenes.

Second on LTG’s arc
…and where my rambling start (sorry not sorry)
Here is another obsessive character’s arc that’s almost done right. Almost is the keyword here. I can accept that he needs time to undo a decade-long obsession. Truth is, I thought LTG is one of the better obsessive characters that had made me felt for him and truly looked forward to his eventual growth. After all, he got the multiple tough love moments from our dear RY and NYZ. I even rooted for LTG & YY pairing, slightly, after accepting YL’s death.

Him forcing Ruyi to marry him after all that canceled all the expectation I had for him. I am sorry I thought you were a diamond in the rough, LTG.

I suppose what AJTL represents to me personally is the journey of Delegation Group and Ruyi’s becoming. How Ruyi came to learn care and trust with them. How the group overcame the obstacles. How Princess YY grows under NYZ’s and RY’s tutelage - now this is a diamond in the rough. Their lovely dynamics and day to day interactions amidst this stressful, impossible mission.

So even though the other storylines were solid and interesting too - LTG’s rise up in An, Emperor Wu’s redemption, the cunning Emperor Wu, the underlying tone of feminism as well as the overlay symbolism of loyalty, war and peace - I found myself not connecting much to them. There’s simply too much to cover and it’s probably 1 storyline too many. It shows in the choppy pacing of the last 6-8 episodes. So something had to give. In my case, it’s my momentum.

I felt that AJTL should’ve ended after they’ve rescued Emperor Wu and the resolution of it. They could’ve made QZ successfully killed this emperor to make a message. They could’ve made getting the antitode for NYZ as the climax instead, if they decided to kill off the emperor without the Beipan’s interference. Or they could’ve just show us a happy ending with them having their Xiao Chuan and save the fight with Beipan for Season 2.

In other words, battling Beipan as the last arc here and now felt inappropriate. For each of them to die because of a battle with some random undying never ending barbaric felt upsetting even though I recognised the well written symbolism of their death as highlighted by another reviewer, songfalcon.

Even if I were accept Beipan as the final arc, I still felt it didn’t need 3-4 episodes to wrap this up. To see Prime Minister Zhang, Prince Danyang and Empress Wu handshaked in the name of peace. To see LTG needing someone to clean up his mess yet again. To see them keep battling this group that seem to spawn and not getting NYZ, RY and YSS in the final showdown. It felt unnecessary and draggy.

The official ending is up to interpretation and debate. I am on the camp that they all, including RY and NYZ died. It fits with the story of their journey. It fits with the feel of longing that Chu Yue had for Wu’s Delegation - and hence her “dreaming” of their reunion in the afterlife in the last scene.
…Or maybe CY died too since it was rightfully pointed that it’s odd for her to be the one who had “this reunion” and not YY.

Anyways, my rambling is probably 1 para too many. Since it’s an Open Ending, I suppose everyone can choose 1 that fits with the journey of our lovely Ruyi and Wu State Delegation you connect with the most.

Overall, AJTL is a great ride. It has been awhile since I come across a jianghu wuxia story that I enjoyed.

红尘有你 The world has you,
红尘也有我 The world also has me,
红尘还有梧国使团 Last but not the least, the world has Wu State Delegation.

~~~~~
P.S. This review’s headline is adapted lyrics from Jay Chou’s Song, Inn of Mortal World (Hong Chen Ke Zhan) - 红尘的故事叫牵挂

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A Journey to be Remembered

"A Journey to Love" is an impressive story that effortlessly weaves threads of romance, character development, and self-discovery into an emotional entanglement where you, the viewer, journey along 40 episodes to fall in love with the characters.

While the backdrop is the political struggles between An and Wu, with the intrusive final invasion of the BeiPan army, it is the journeying clan that, in my opinion, captivates audiences. Liu Shishi plays the strong female lead, an assassin perfectly. However, I did find her obsession to seek revenge for the empress a tad forced in scripting.

The camaraderie between the Liu Dao Tang brothers was the true highlight for me. Each was such a round character, but it was YSS who made the episodes extra delightful.

The martial arts choreography is probably some of the best, if not the best, I've ever seen in c-drama. And while the BGM is overused and did get a tad annoying, it nevertheless served its purpose and accentuated the action scenes perfectly.

The ending, while not for everyone, I guess was tragically fitting, Although, I do wish they spared YSS, but that would perhaps make it too complete. At least YSS and YL live on, by name, in the form of Ning Shi San and his sister Ren Lu.

Definitely a drama worth watching and will, without doubt, be remembered as one of the best offered in 2023.

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What a Series to End 2023!

Well peeps its been a long time since I have written a Review, so here goes nothing, ^_^

Story: Starts with a bang, great plot, rhythm and flow is completely in sync. The fact this story is not adapted from somewhere shows how much the script writer and director have genuinely put in the time of day to actually give us a story that is worth watching and repeat in watching.

Acting: Both the ML/FL have a very unique and bonding chemistry which I believe is absolutely phenomenal. I am aware some hate the ML but I do not care not only is he a great singer but I believe he's an amazing Actor as well and I am very glad finally he gets to be a ML in a Wuxia series, suits him well. FL lead is not someone that releases lots of series or movies in a year, certainly not a mainstream Actress according to profile. having said this she's amazing in her own right. What's the saying,. "less is more". Her prowless and the way she controls the forum in every episode makes me want to watch her past series and movies. As for the supporting cast, their chemistry is on par and in sync with the whole team, from companionship to villains, cannot complain about any aspect so far.

Music: Subjective to everyone, however to me the music nails it on certain points where its needed and I love the opening song as well.

Rewatch Value: Absolutely there, 10/10 for a reason and I personally have re-watched every episode approx 2-3 times now, some episodes I have watched over 6 times, however that is because I do not speak Mandarin as native tongue and relying on subs, the series is this good I actually want to make sure I am not missing any important details in the plot and what the actors/actresses are saying, its that good

Overall: For me Best Series of 2023, I just pray there will be a decent ending to this amazing series to set us into 2024. Cannot wait to see and hear one day the ML/FL reprise again in another future series together, they genuinely look good together and adapt very well making the audience feel they have an amazing connection

Updated 19/12/23: After concluding this series, I can say this has been one of the most amazing series's of 2023. I will not lie as I am very fortunate to have watched the whole series before it was due to be fully released by end of this week. However I am also very upset about how this has concluded. Be prepared for tissues, I was really hoping this series will end in a more positive note! Once again another Wuxia cdrama that cannot have a good ending, however I will say the acting and story up to episode 35-36, has been absolute phenomenal. Sorry for the small spoiler all, I could not help it but to at least write it somewhere!

Cheers all, ^_^

Shing

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Did not quite stick the ending, but still a very enjoyable watch.

Subjective Gut Rating: 8.25 (almost a solid 8.5)

Just as many have commented and reviewed, “A Journey to Love” was an exciting, fun, and engaging drama for most of the episodes. Unfortunately, along with other fellow viewers, I was disappointed in the last 5-6 episodes. Even so, this is still a drama worth watching.

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What I Like:

Fight/Action Scenes - It has been a while since I last watched a drama with very satisfying fight scenes that don’t rely on CGI. There are still some posing and slow motion, but comparatively, the fight scenes are fast-paced, realistic and choreographed well. There are many war scenes, as well as just regular fighting amongst each other. These scenes are also spread throughout the drama. All actors and actresses look the part and I don’t see anyone weak who acts like they are flailing around with their swords.

The Gang of Brothers - Who would have thought I will love these side characters more than the main leads. The buddies from the Six Realms Hall/Liu Dao Hall are such a fun bunch. They provide many comedic moments. Initially, I wasn’t sure if the comedy jives with the vibe of the drama, since “A Journey to Love” appears to be a serious drama of assassination, palace politics and wars. But I love these guys so much. Each of them brings something different to the group. And when the last few episodes happened, I was so sad.

Alen Fang/Yu Shi San (13) - I bet 13 is the most loved character in the drama. I’ve seen Alen Fang in many other dramas before, mostly as a supporting role. The last drama I saw him in was “The Longest Promise” and he played the beloved Zhi Yuan. Zhi Yuan is such a different character from 13 but Alen did such a great job. It’s lovely to see more and more viewers know and acknowledge Alen’s acting. He shines so brightly that Liu Yu Ning, as the main lead, pales in comparison.

Princess Yang Ying - This is my first time watching He Lan Dou and she has quite a difficult character to play in Yang Ying. I found He Lan Dou’s acting a little rough in the beginning and it took me a while to get used to her cross-dressing role. But she grew on me and I like her acting and her character more and more. It’s lovely to see little Yang Ying grow in front of our eyes. From the forgotten and timid princess to an independent, strong-willed and feisty lady of the house.

Ren Xin - A true assassin and the best of the best. She doesn’t stop killing, from ep 1 to ep 40. Finally we have a strong female character who is strong from the beginning to the end. Her romance softens her hardened heart a little, but deep down she’s still the trained assasin. I enjoyed Liu Shi Shi’s portrayal of Ren Xin. LSS exudes elegant yet arrogant charisma. Her posture and head were so straight that I wondered if LSS needed a massage after every scene. LOL

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What I have Mixed Feelings or Don’t Like:

Li Tong Guang - I like him and then I don’t like him. His obsession towards Ren Xin is a little dramatic, but it’s not like I’ve never seen this before. This is my first true time watching Chang Hua Sen and I don’t think his acting is quite up to par to play such a polarizing character. He wasn’t bad, but at times he seems to have tried too hard to act crazy, and his acting lacks maturity. Other times, I feel that he did quite a good job as someone intelligent and ambitious, yet still cares about the lives of the common people. Maybe if this Li Tong Guang is played by another actor, I might have liked him more as the default gray character of a drama.

Romance - I love all things romance, yet I am not loving the romance between Ren Xin (FL) and Ning Yuan Zhou (ML). It’s not horrible. They look good together, and Liu Shi Shi has the perfect height to stand next to the super tall Liu Yu Ning. But I am not feeling their chemistry. I think Liu Yu Ning’s acting is adequate but not amazing, and especially not good during romantic scenes. There are also way too many slow motion romantic scenes and there was one kiss that took forever for the lips to touch. On the other hand, I love the few scenes Yu Shi San has with Chu Yue. Their scenes are so limited but I feel the chemistry between them so much more. Their night of fun together brought a lot of joy. The conversation/confrontation the day after was emotional and really tugs at my heartstrings. And the last scenes of them together make me feel so, so sad.

Pacing - I was really enjoying the different arcs in the first 70% of the drama. I thought it was well-paced and I was invested and engaged. The combination of comedy, action, camaraderie, and palace politics are pretty well done. Then the last arc with the northerners happened. It’s like someone presses on the gas pedal and everything speeds up. Why was there such a rush in the end? Was the drama edited and chopped up because of the 40-episode limitation? Was that the writing’s fault? I am not sure.

Ending - Was I surprised how ‘brutal’ the ending is? Not really. I don’t dislike the ending per se. I am a little surprised by the sheer number of deaths. I’ve watched C-drama historicals enough to know not to love a character too much, as they might not make it to the end. I just wish their deaths would be spaced out. I don’t think I have the time to mourn for each death, and the drama did not take a breather before moving to the next one. This ties back to my criticism of the pacing.

Dubbing - How I wish everyone used their real voice. Unfortunately, Liu Shi Shi/Ren Xin and Chang Hua Sen/Li Tong Guang. The other main cast did and I applaud them for it, especially for Liu Yu Ning/Ning Yuan Zhou and the young He Lan Dou/Yang Ying. But all dubbing was done in the studio and none live.

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Although this drama is not perfect, I have quite an enjoyable time watching it. It’s able to hold my attention until about ep 35. If the last 5-6 episodes are paced well and the main romance has better chemistry, I would have rated this an 9.0. But now, I am just going to give this an 8.25-8.50. I will still recommend this drama for the fun bunch of guys, great action scenes and an engaging plot.


Completed: 2/22/2024 - Review #406

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such a good drama to end 2023 with!

This is one of the best drama I've watched and it's going straight on my top 10 favourites out of the 200 I've watched/skimmed through/dropped since I fell into CDramaland 2,5 years ago.

There's everything I can ask for this type of drama: solid acting from the whole cast, good character writing, good cinematography and music.
There's humour, emotional moments, healthy relationships, interesting female characters, beautiful friendships/bromance/female solidarity, welcomed twists on overused clichés and beautiful fight scenes.

I was watching it for LYN and I'm not disappointed at all, he's good at picking his acting projects and is really good in this, as is the whole cast. (even the "weaker" actings are so much better than in most of the CDrama I've watched.)

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Best Chinese Drama of 2023... with the side of an obsessive stalker

Really good show - one of the best Chinese dramas I've seen in a while (easily the best of the year), with some glaring flaws.

Now going into the show, it's important to look at it from the lens of an "idol" drama - it's purpose is to entertain viewers, not realistically portray humanity. That's why some things like the main leads' overpowered-ness (and yes, they are the two strongest characters from beginning to end, no one else comes close) is excusable. And even given that, they're semi-realistic with it - the main leads are constantly suffering from injuries and they struggle with defeating enemies in large numbers.

First, great characterization for the characters - leading and supporting alike, probably the best I've seen for a wuxia drama (outside of the masterpieces in Nirvana in Fire and Joy of Life).

The main leads have a strong relationship - they have good chemistry, it matches the plot, and by the end, you can see how much they care for each other in both their actions and their acting. They get together relatively early on in the show, and they have a strong loving relationship for most of it. The most refreshing thing about it is that the problems that they face in their relationship are very realistic - there aren't any stupid misunderstandings that drag on for episodes on end, and there are no outsiders that try to influence their relationship in any significant way (just a gang of shippers, but they're harmless).

Most importantly, the main leads have a mature relationship. Without spoiling too much, they broke up with each other in the middle of the show because they realized they both wanted different things out of a relationship. They're smart characters that clearly care for each other, but they also realize that they need to prioritize their own needs without sacrificing everything for their partner.

Outside of the main leads, Princess Yang Ying has the strongest characterization out of any supporting character I've seen in recent memory. She has a classic hero's journey arc - from weak princess to the strong ruler of a nation that takes responsibility for her citizens. She learns from Ren Ru Yi the importance of her status as royalty, and you can see how it transforms her actions and decisions throughout the show. From scene to scene, you can witness her growth and it's a feel-good moment at the end when you reflect on what she has become.

In complete contrast to that is one of the major flaws of the show - Li Tong Guang's character. His character is so odd and uncomfortable at times, given his obsession/sexualization of Ren Ru Yi. It feels like the show just brushes that aside when the two main leads decide to work with him - like, this man has been creepily obsessive over your lover for years, are you sure you want to treat like this? Throughout the drama, there are hints of his redemption, but they get squashed over and over again by his actions. To compare, the writer wrote Princess Yang Ying's character arc as a straight line from weak to strong, and Li Tong Guang's character arc as a fucking scribble.

Outside of these four characters, the supporting cast is well developed. Each of the Liu Dao Hall members have a clear narrative arc that is neatly wrapped up by the end of the show (especially Liu Shi San - did not expect him at all). Even minor characters like Chu Yue, Deng Hui, and Chief Secretary Du show character growth, and become likable to viewers. One thing I was particularly impressed about was how the writer managed to tie in the Wu Empress and Danyang Prince's narrative arc with such little screentime (episode 1 + an episode near the end).

The only criticism I have of the supporting characters is the Wu Emperor - who somehow magically transforms from a selfish to magnanimous king... but that leads into another issue: Pacing. Particularly in the last couple (5-6ish episodes).

The entire drama breaks down in the last few episodes - at such a rapid pace. Things are happening left and right. Something that would have taken a couple episodes to unfold is shown in mere minutes, and it leaves viewers confused. The plot twist when the main leads return to the Wu Empire could have been a glorious moment - but the entire conspiracy unfolds so fast, there isn't time for the viewer to completely process and marvel at everything.

And... MAJOR SPOILER: All the characters start dying off one by one that there isn't enough time to mourn their death either. It's strange when all of the characters survive until episode 35 or so, but so suddenly die off.

When it comes to the technical side of the drama, there's very little to complain about. Amazing sound - from the voice overs, sound effects, and (especially) the music. Beautiful costumes + production design, all of the characters looked beautiful. And the camera work on the fight scenes are a marvel - especially when the two leads are fighting side by side.

With that, it's a great show - the writer did a good enough job in the first 30 or so episodes of the drama, that I'm attached to the characters enough to follow through with the trainwreck of the end, since I wanted to see what happens to them.

(P.S. Hearing about the Liu Yu Ning drama breaks my heart. I think he's incredibly attractive in the show - and I'm not usually a fan of male characters in historical dramas. I usually find male actors unattractive because of the feminine look + heavy makeup, but he looked manly and natural in the show. That fucking mole is hot.)

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A Thought on Guanshan? Maybe "Reflections on Chinese version of GOT's "All men must die"

Unfortunately, I've watched all the episodes, while this entire drama should have been stopped at the episode 34, after which nothing makes sense, and my ratings refer only to that point. And until that point, the investment made by the creators was such to make a very picky (I usually drop 99% of shows of any production or country) and have-no-time person (as myself) to spend her time watching it with great expectations, all deluded by the last 6 eps.

The creators made a huge effort to build up credible characters within a credible story. The Italian saying for fiction: se non è vero, è ben trovato (if it is not true, it's (still) nicely figured out", usually used for the works of fiction) had its application. Further, a huge attention of creators was made to make sense: plots, subplots, all human relations made sense, characters were well explained, had sufficient screentime and particular personal growths that allowed us (the audience) to care properly about each and every of them. And after all that construction effort, what happened next was a complete disaster.

In the last 6 episodes the creators decided to massacre everybody and destroy every sense in the story they've built up so nicely. As in Italian saying, "everything was figured out nicely". Holly crap, can someone tell me what's the purpose of such a thing? To tell us "wars are sensless"? Well, we know that without investing so much time and feelings. Or to tell "all men must die"? We know that, too. But such a huge sacrifice happened without principle of justice being properly served. Ending such a great story with CY's dream of unprobable "10 years after" not only doesn't render justice to its protagonists (btw, some of them dissappeared without trace, minister Du, where are you?), but makes their (and our emotional) sacrifice senseless, too.
Or the message was "there's no tomorrow"? Indeed, there's no tomorrow expecting our heroes' & heroines' next move. Hello, authors, what was your final message? From the original Chinese poetry, I deduce Guanshan is a place or time or circumstance where a person can reflect on their "wordly" attachments and loyalties. The Chinese title did not serve the purpose, while the English title is missed, too, ie., it served untill the episode 34 - after that episode nothing makes sense.

Special "Guanshan thoughts" for the scriptwriter:
1) It's impossible to move such a huge military forces in a presided area without being noticed.
2) you did fine with LTG's Oedipus complex, but once they drop it, no way any marriage or relapse will occur.
3) what kind of message you've exactly wanted to launch?

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Perfect 10 then crash & fall into the typical dreaded C-Drama ending!

Will this drama be remembered as one of the best of 23 or Worst ending of 23?

Up to Ep 18:
Legendary actress paired up with OST fan fav = Chemistry Explosion! Unlikely pairing magical to watch!
Granted going into this drama I was already a fan of both leads so my tolerance for possible drama plot holes may be higher.

Already what's working:
1. ML/FL Paring: You have ML Liu Yu Ning who may not be the best actor (but lots potential) has been a fan favorite for his personality and music talent. He is paired up with a veteran actress Liu Shi Shi, who pulls off the badass female assassin way better than idol actresses. She's beautiful & fierce and even though it's been ages since she's done a period costume drama, she still can do those fight scenes well. Together the chemistry is intense with the slow burn romance brewing. By ep 11 it will definitely hit those emotions.

2. Script/Storyline/Execution: The script flows very well with just the right amount of humor. Characters (including the important supporting characters) are multidimensional.

3. Strong supporting cast. The rescue princess group is very entertaining.
-Love seeing Alen Fang playing a flirtatious character rather than the typical serious prince. The character allowed him to showcase his range of acting skills. When he cried, it hit.
-Wang Yi Zhe, the doctor that delivers the one liner at the opportunist time is interesting as well.
-He Lan Dou: The naive princess with the MOST character growth in the drama. She's probably my favorite character.
-Chen You Wei: Such a cute character.
Kudos to the casting & acting!

4. Fight choreography. Superb for actors that are not professionally trained. Superb for Liu Shi Shi who's no longer in her prime. But yes, there's a lot of freeze shots ....

5. Lighting, make up is not crazy pasty makeup in overly dark lit settings.

6. OST - Amazing!

Cinematography is not amazing but good enough. I could use a little less comedic sound effects but all that is minor consider the quality of this drama.

30s episodes in, the drama went into a direction I was NOT hoping for. In too many C-dramas they just kill off all the characters and call it a day (probably they got tired of writing) I get it, much of the drama is about sacrificing for the greater good. When will script writers learn that there's a 1000 other ways to end the drama....

Even though ending sucked to me I still think it's an exceptional drama and worth rewatching until the leads got together.

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