So C-drama A Journey to Love has been airing for 3 weeks and for VIP viewers of iQiyi the streaming platform released the final 6-episodes this Monday with exclusive access. It helps with keeping the interest level high as honestly the last ten episodes have been slowly flagging for me. Overall I found the drama solidly written, a great supporting cast of both the actors and the characters written, and a solidly interesting story about the two kingdoms, the politics, and betrayals. Sadly the OTP romance which started so interesting during the sparring and flirting phase turned dull as dishwater once they got together because the two characters are just so uneventful. Their issues are dealing with external problems and leads Liu Yu Ning and Liu Shi Shi had more spark with other characters in the second half and when together felt like an old boring marriage couple. The ending was a letdown in satisfaction but made sense in narrative, but this is a drama I still would recommend because overall it was well done and a fast paced watch.
I honestly hated it and regret investing any emotion in the side characters, all of whom I loved more than the leads. I don’t hate the leads, they were just kind of boring, especially LYN’s role.
I was looking forward to seeing Amy Chen as I find her very pretty and an up-and-coming actress in Novoland Eagle Flag but I dropped this drama by ep 7, even if I root for LYN. I think he is a promising actor. But the drama was just not my vibe. Btw for people who are saying Alen Fang should be upgraded to ML. He has a couple of dramas where he is the ML. But this is with LSS and LYN is considered a Liuliang celebrity.
I also stopped at episode 7, and couldn’t continue because it didn’t seem to have the story-driving momentum that I like in other series. LYN is also not ML-worthy material IMO, but I’ve said that before. Plus, it sounds like the ending’s not enjoyable, so overall I’m glad I skipped it.
I dont like sad endings or opening endings…sometimes one can tell the tone of the drama after afew eps…I dropped it mid way.
Complete disaster.
If you haven’t watched yet, don’t. Utter waste of time. I did not know that bloody Guardian director also directed this. It would have warned me not to touch this.
I loved it! Ending was expected but the CGI at the end was really bad..
Well produced solid drama. One of the best this year. For those prefer happily ever after ending, I recommend to stay away because this isn’t a fairy tale but a realistic drama.
I am really enjoying it. I like our older couple being more into talking rather than staring. But I am half way point and so far still love the main characters. I do think they have chemistry. The politics however was child play especially enters the crazy clingy one. I wish they showed more on Wu side of kingdom. As long as it is happy ending, I think I will be fine.
I enjoyed this right up to episode 23 honestly I watched it all but did skip through it and felt episodes 33 to 40 were very rushed and had a semi melancholy ending.
Well said! We can’t always expect happy ending always.
loved it.even though the ending was bit unexpected, I loved the deep connection and the character development throughout the series
I love and hate the ending. Love it and hate it because it’s too realistic. In the end, those people are cannon fodder in a struggle between two countries. I think they can still make it more dramatic at the end. Since you killed everyone, best you do it in most tragic way possible. I still cried a lot tho
Too many people are angry
I think people put too much hope, heart and mind into happy endings and ignore anything else so they are angry
Obviously everyone hoped and wished for better outcome for every character but the clouds of death were up in the air since the beginning
I’m the kind of person who hopes and wish for the best outcome but ready myself for the worse outcome
My veredict:
Love it despite many flaws
This is an awesome drama that I’ll cetainly re-watch and I’ll recommenend to everyone
I forgot to say that the characters knew and accepted they were embarking into POSSIBLE suicide missions and at the same time feeling very positive wishing for better ending for them all because HOPE is the last one to die
It was the unexpected war that did them in.
It’s a wuxia. Everyone dies or disappears in a wuxia.
Yeah…
That’s inherently not true. Did everyone die in Jin Yong stories? Did everyone die in Gu long’s stories? Did everyone die in Mysterious Lotus Casebook? Did everyone die in Blood of Youth? I expected some people to die, but this was almost a complete wipe out.
I felt like the first 10+ episodes were great, then it got kind of slow in the middle 20, and in the last 10, lets hurry and kill everyone off.
Not everyone but if Im not mistaken didn’t Kwok Jing died a hero’s death later in life? I think from ep 1 we know this group was on suicide mission. I’m not upset over the sad ending. I haven’t reached the point of death but I hope they all died deserving valiant heroes’ death. They did mention about dying a meaningful death if death is unavoidable, how it will be glorious to be remembered in history books, etc. As long as the death scenes are done well, I think this series achieved it’s purpose. Now why our leading lady also chose to die is strange but I suppose from solitary to having a dream of being like her compatriots to help others to perhaps knowing she lost her will to live when the love of her life also died may be a factor. Her death perhaps to be shouldn’t be the case. I read about theories of them faking deaths but seeing the short clips, I think they are deader than dead. As for the kid everyone said showed they lived and had children, I wish perhaps the writer should have made it clearer. I think perhaps their noble deeds were told to others and people so moved that they name their children after the fallen heroes, which in any world, even wuxia, is a rather good tribute isn’t it? Forgive me for saying right now for better or worse, I find this much better watch than all other Cdramas about demons and fairies or love stories like Love Like The Galaxy but like every cdramas, this drama has flaws. Story has flaws, ending has flaws and interestingly when characters are sick where less face powder is used, they actually look better. The face powder is… too too much.
They disappear, the hero/heroine’s disappearance is up to the audience’s interpretation. Jin Yong kept changing stuff up so not sure which version you are referring to. The ending is never quite the HEA of a straight romance. The hero of MLC was expected to die. His ending wasn’t happy. He also disappeared.
@Funn Lim, sure Guo Jing did die later in life, but the story that was centered around him as the main character, he did not die. Nor did the entire main ensemble die. My point is you don’t need to kill everyone in the crew to have emotional impact. I also cried buckets when Hong Qigong and Auyang Feng died in Return of the Condor Heroes. I’m not naive, I braced myself for a lot of deaths. I totally caught the part of the music video where he pours wine on three of their badges. However, this show completely massacred everyone.
[SPOILER ALERT]
Even the emperor, who was the whole purpose of the mission died. I get that he learnt a valuable lesson and proved he was no longer the terribly ignorant emperor, but still. The other one was how Yuan Lu died. The whole point of Yu Shisan sending him away was so that he didn’t have to die, and somehow they killed him off too by “exhaustion”. I know he has an underlying condition where he’ll die young anyway, but geez way to put blood on Yu Shisan’s hands. Yes, they did all die a heroes death, but some of them just felt so unnecessary.
I don’t like xian xia either, so I hear you on that one. I absolutely love the wuxia genre, and I felt like the scriptwriter could’ve left me some crumbs like let one of the main crew stay alive to tell the story and honor them by carrying on Liu Dao Tang’s legacy. My interpretation was that Chu Yue must’ve been dreaming (or dying). The whole scene/background looked not real, which I felt like was done on purpose. It seemed like the little boy was taking her to join them.
@Jia yeah I think so too, no one lived, even chu yue. It’s just like how ning suddenly imagines the gang playing around, just a vision before death. Uh huh somehow I like this, why am I excited at the prospect of complete BE? Anyway I think it’s very unique, it feels like a story told from the perspective of cannon fodder.
@Gennita in MLC, only the male lead disappears (maybe died). You said “everybody” dies or disappears. The other two are still alive and well. My gripe is the complete wipe out of the group I’ve grown to love and adore. It’s so unnecessary to kill them all off. I’m not upset some people have to die, it’s the fact that they ALL died (caps for emphasis not anger or annoyance).
Which ending are you talking about being changed all the time? Did Guo Jing and Huang Rong not end up together in a version of the Legend of the Condor Heroes? I don’t recall a Jin Yong story where he wiped out the entire main cast, but I also don’t keep up with changes after I’ve read them.
@Yuhyi, totally understand. Some people don’t mind sad endings, and that’s cool. This is just my opinion and I don’t expect everyone to agree with me. I just wished at least one person survived (preferably Yu Shisan lol).
Love the ending. I know it’s sad but worth watching it. All Liu yuning brothers as well 😭💔
The last 6 episodes were hard to stomach ngl. I know it was inevitable, but I had at least hoped the writer wouldn’t be so cruel…It’s still a beautiful drama with a wonderful journey, but just a very devastating ending. I cried, laughed, cried, laughed, and cried towards the end. I hope the cast gets to work together again with a HE because they were THAT good together – heck if we can’t get the whole gang, IDC what anyone says but I need my leads together with a HE.
I love the drama each of the male leads had unique character which makes the drama more interested . But one thing was it necessary to kill the guys
I love this drama! Definitely my favourite for 2023. I love the main leads, the side characters, the screenplay and the cinematography. I think the ending is fitting to the storyline. All in all, simply brilliant!
Finished watching it and ended up with a puddle of tears… but I’m going to rematch because I love it so much!!
solid drama with strong characters and mature presentation. love nyz, rry, everyone ..
the only reason i loathe the ending is because .. yea i got too emotionally invested in the characters and couldn’t accept the ugly reality presented by this proper wuxia. but that’s what made it really good …
I love the drama all the characters and all the actors specially LYN he’s soo handsome good in martial arts also the female lead love them hope to see and watch them soon. Well done guys!!!
I think this drama should be awarded the most pathet!c drama of the 21st century… I stopped watching it even before it started. It started great but seems the writer became high and began writing trash 🗑️
You stopped watching before it started? And you criticized something youu never watched?
I really enjoyed the show. It had a few flaws, but was well written and the acting from evryone was good. ML was great. I really don’t understand why people say he is not leading role material. I like his voice and looks. He is far from ugly. I will continue supporting this young man and look forward to see many of the other characters in future projects.
Wow. Koala blocked my long @$$ comment again. Perhaps bcos I criticized the CCP at the end and she’s freaked out? LOL. If my review does not show up in another 24 hours, then I confirm my suspicion.
I think long posts in general are either flagged for review or something. I don’t think it has anything to do with your criticism of CCP. I posted a message on the fashion one listing the actresses for tencent video awards for someone who said they didn’t know who all the actresses were yesterday, and it still has yet to go through.
Dropped A journey to love around episode 30, whole thing just got really tedious. Started Sword snow stride, up to episode 14 and loving it.
Dropped Sword Snow Stride cuz I did not like the FL.
You mean Jiang Ni? I read alot of reviews and some didn’t like her but surprisingly I really liked her bickering and subtle lovey dovy with the male lead. Though, I almost dropped it after the first two episodes because I didn’t like the Kung Fu Hustle style fighting but thankfully it doesn’t happen too often and the fighting scenes get better.
Well said! We can’t always expect happy ending always.
I enjoyed this up to the 33 episode. The rest was rushed. You can tell that it was. The Duke and his wife should have been back in An with at least a baby on the way. They could of shown Ning and ruyi instead of the child.
I just finished the show and it was great, not sure what was not to like about the ending!
My favourite drama after many years. My favourite one was Yang Ying and Li Tong Guang ship. I still can pull myself out after weeks now.
My favourite drama after many years. My favourite one was Yang Ying and Li Tong Guang ship. I still can’t pull myself out after weeks now.
*can’t