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.
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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 ?Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
Li Tong Guang
To me, he has become quite interesting. Being Ren Xin's only disciple and teetering between boyhood and becoming a man, his acting is superb and spot on. I don't have to mention the main cast because we all think they are excellent. I really feel Li Tong's despair and I have teared up almost every time he has. Obsessive love has to be a difficult emotion to manage. Great job! This drama has gotten better with almost every episode. I still have 26 episodes to go and I hope it stays on the same feel all the way through.Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
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!Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
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.
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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
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The best C-Drama since 10 Mile Peach Blossom - until EP38.
Wow.This is one of the best series in the last 10 years - if you stop watching at ep 38.
Then the writer ruins the series so masterfully, nobody else could disappoint viewers like this. I won't be watching anything she writes again, it's just a massive time dump where you regret watching it all and spending hours on it at the end.
0/10 won't watch again.
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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 lifeThe 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
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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 storytellingMy 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 :(
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The best squad forever!...
C'est ainsi.37ème épisode et je ne sais si je vais pouvoir le terminer.
Non, non, ce drama possède peu de défaut à mes yeux. Des qualités que je désespère de trouver en ces temps maussades (où est le printemps???).
Et pourtant me voilà, à hésiter à appuyer sur "next".
Si le courage me fait défaut, je reviendrais vous le dire.
Une première introduction. Juste pour vous partager mon immense coup de coeur de 2024. Pour être honnête, j'en ai eu des coups de foudre, des passions, des dramas qui ont su me marquer ces dernières années....Un drama qui aura su me faire pleurer, me faire aimer CHACUN des personnages, me faire croire jusqu'au bout à un happy ending!!!! Un drama qui aura su me blesser autant que me donner un bonheur inattendu? Je peux les compter sur les doigts d'une main.
J'ai terminé récemment un magnifique drama qui a su me faire rire à m'en faire mal au bide (Love endures) , un dama qui a su transcender des relations complexes faisant battre mon coeur à une vitesse indécente ( Lost you forever), un drama qui a su m'émerveiller à m'en décrocher la mâchoire (Story of Kunning palace) ou bien un drama d'une maturité folle dont la romance m'a scotchée jusqu'au bout comme "parallel world"....2024 aura été une année incroyable d'émotion...
Et pourtant, "a journey to love" aura été le seul à réunir (en 2024) autant d'émotions : le rire, la tendresse, l'émerveillement, le coeur qui bat sans retenue, et la souffrance. Alors, je sais que l'amour de ma vie ne va pas tarder à arriver (Joy of life saison 2 !!!!!!!!!), mais "A journey to love" est définitivement un drama que je classerai comme inoubliable, peu importe la fin...
Je reviendrai vous conter la suite dès que mon courage m'aura permis d'appuyer sur l'épisode 38....
Edit :
Episode 40....
Lorsque j'ai commencé ce drama, je le savais. Alors pourquoi grand Dieu, me suis-je lancée dans cette aventure qui ne se cachait pas d'être une tragédie? A vrai dire, je ne sais pas. Juste une envie.....
Ce drama porte bien son nom. Ce fut une sacré aventure et bien que mon coeur n'en soit pas sorti indemne, j'ai apprécié chaque moment de ce drama.
Afin d'éviter de spoiler, je ne parlerai pas de la fin, du moins je vais éviter de citer les noms.
L'intrigue :
c'est une intrigue qui mêle habilement les complots nauséabonds politique et la recherche de vérité de Ru Yi. C'est un vrai délice que de suivre les aventures de Ru Yi d'un côté et de l'autre le sauvetage d'un empereur. C'est donc un scénario qui a plus d'un tour dans son sac et qui sait nous tenir en haleine jusqu'au bout. L'évolution de l'intrigue est assez simple sans pour autant tomber dans la facilité. Je dirais que le scénario suit un schéma classique mais desservis par des personnages incroyablement attachants et c'est ce qui fait à mon sens la force réelle de ce drama.
Mais avant de parler des personnages, un mot sur la réalisation : époustouflante! la mise en scène est magnifique, et bien que parfois on remarque des lacunes surtout au niveau de la décoration qui manque cruellement de réalisme, les scènes d'actions sont superbement orchestrées et filmées! je crois que depuis "Ever night" et "Kenshin", nous n'avions pas autant apprécié la beauté d'une scène de combat! le ralenti est utilisé avec intelligence et donne un dynamisme incroyable aux combats, transcendant ainsi la gestuelle et insufflant un sentiment d'émerveillement à la spectatrice que je suis (et mon mari aussi ). C'était whoa, que cela soit les scènes de Ru Yi ou de Ning ou de Shi San ou de Jiu, bref, de tout le monde!
C'est filmé avec virtuose et sincèrement on en redemande. Les meilleures scènes?? il y'en a tellement, mais je dirais peut-être que la dernière scène de Shi San fut remarquable, cette scène magnifique m'a juste fait comprendre que Shi San était encore plus incroyable que "Kenshin" (fallait le faire tout de même)
Je garde le meilleur pour la fin : les personnages.
La force de ce drama ( et je ne le répéterais jamais assez, des personnages bien écrits et bien joués, c'est une quasi réussite pour moi) est dans l'écriture et le jeu des personnages.
J'ai tout simplement adoré tout le monde....mais sincèrement, il n'y a que "love like the galaxy" et "Joy of Life" qui détenaient à mon sens le " whoa" pour tout le casting.
Honneur aux femmes : Ru Yi est la protagoniste qu'on ne peut qu'aimer. Sensuelle, féminine et redoutable, elle manie avec virtuose aussi bien l'épée que les mots. Sa force de caractère et son amour inconditionnelle étaient remarquables.
Yang Ying n'était pas mon personnage préférée, et au fur et à mesure de son évolution étonnante, elle est devenue un personnage attachante et adorable. J'ai adoré son évolution constante, la force qu'elle se découvre et les actes qui l'amènent à devenir une adulte forte et responsable. Il y a aussi la princesse Chu Yue, Mei Niang, Xiao Yan...des femmes fortes qui ne tremblent pas et qui avancent la tête haute. J'ai été agréablement surprise de leurs rôles car ici pas de femmes larmoyantes, de femmes qui ne piétinement pas l'égo des hommes (malgré les sous-entendus à leur rôle de séductrice en tant qu'assassin), mais des femmes qui vivent de leur force et de leur faiblesse avec sincérité.
Mais si j'ai aimé la place des femmes dans ce drama, l'importance qui leur était accordé, je dois avouer (je reste une femme après tout), que mes chouchous restent Nin Yuan Zhou, Shi San, Yuan Lu, Qian Zhao et Sun Lang.....Alors j'ai prié tous les dieux sur cette terre de ne pas refaire l'épreuve de "Mr Sunshine", je n'ai pas été entendue :(
j'ai adoré ce squad, leur amitié, leur chamaillerie, la force de leur relation, la confiance absolue des uns envers les autres, de don de soi total sans aucune arrière pensée. Leur personnalité unique et propre à chacun a rendu encore plus attachante leur amitié et j'avoue avoir réellement détesté la scénariste pour cette fin horrible qu'elle nous a pondu.
C'est un drama qui va me marquer longtemps, qui m'a rendu heureuse et malheureuse en même temps.
en résumé :
- Une intrigue qui ne s'essouffle pas.
- Une réalisation dynamique et des scènes d'actions impressionnantes
- Une romance principale adorable et mature, des romances secondaires qui m'ont brisé le coeur....
- Une héroïne remarquable, intelligente, magnifique et qui allie force et sensibilité.
- 5 protagonistes masculins qui m'ont fait shipper à fond, définissant pour toujours l'héroïsme vrai.
- Je tire mon chapeau aux jeux des acteurs! Si cela n'était pas déjà fait, je suis définitivement une fan inconditionnelle de Liu Shi Shi (je l'étais déjà avec "scarlet heart"), de Liu Yu Ning et de Alan Fang.
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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.
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It had the potential to be a great
First, let me point out that this is the female assassin I’ve been waiting for. So elegant, smart, and BADASS. Love it! Well done! ?????After watching the entire series, I must say that it had the potential to be a great one for 2023. However, I am disappointed with the way it ended. I was really hoping this series would end on a more positive note! I love the characters and their chemistry. Don’t get attached to any of the characters ??
Be prepared for tissues. ???
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