My Journey to You (2023)

Captivating start but…

it ended not just without an ending but with a feeling of sadness. A double whammy of dislikes for me.

Had the beginning episodes not been so engaging, my rating for this drama would have been lower. The story starts off very strong at episode 1 and I was hooked especially with the dark feel of this drama. So much intrigue and seeing the assassins smartly make their moves kept me glued to my screen. My rating at this point was a 9.

When the ML had his 3 trials, I was fascinated as the storyline on this trials was not what I was expecting as I thought the trials would be more physically related. The chemistry between the leads was nice enough and I enjoyed watching the FL being so dark and serious unlike in her previous drama where she was naive and chirpy.

While having touches of humour are a good idea, I did not appreciate the extreme and absurd way one of the female characters was written. Her over exaggerated movements and lustfulness was too much of a jarring contrast to the overall tone of this drama.

Quite a lot of the story is told in flashback style to give us lots of aha moments so you’ll have to be patient as certain parts of the story are left hanging and makes you wonder if it will be answered later on or become a plot hole. Lots of death and this drama seems to focus on making it as sad and drawn out as possible so it got a bit tiring when it overdid it.

The reveal at the end was good and seeing the whole family come together and that they had each other’s back was one of the highlights. Unfortunately, I was not a fan of how the drama went a step further and made the ending open ended and sad.

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Why... Oh why...

This drama I can say one of the best wuxia this year. The complexity of the story, the beautiful character played by all the actor & of course the chemistry between the cast, make this drama so beautiful. But unfortunately, the ending make me want to cry.... & that's why I decided to lower the score a little bit.

This drama by far, one of the most interesting characters that Esther Yu ever played that I've ever watch. In this drama, we didn't meet the happy go lucky or cheerful usual character played by Esther Yu. Her character here quite gloom & serious & have layered. And I don't think that annoying voice that everyone bother about her voice can be heard here, i don't know if that's dubbed or not tho....

This drama tells story about 2 big powers in martial art, good (Gong family) & bad (Wufeng). Our ML, Gong Zi Yu (ZY) comes from Gong family while our FL, Yun Wei Shan (WS), comes from Wufeng. The story started with the chance Wufeng had to infiltrate Gong family when they open their door for bride selection for their young master who already come of age.

When the plot run, we got to know that Wufeng not only send one of their spies, but 2, with each have their own mission to be completed. And as the story goes, we got to know the character more & their own stories. But this drama not only about the spies of Wufeng & their own mission inside the Gong family. But the messy drama inside the Gong family itself.

The story began with the dead of the head family, ZY's dad & ZY's oldest brother, or you can say the heir. Without the lead & the heir, the elders in the family must decide to pick the next leader, and by all the luck it falls to our ML, ZY. ZY himself at first only one of the sons in the family that, you can say, the most spoiled young master in the family that no one expect him to be the lead. But all the sudden circumstances make all the elders have no choice but to pick him. That's why at first ZY must prove himself worthy to be the lead, especially to his second brother, Gong Shang Jue (SJ). But in the end ZY still our ML right, not only he proves himself worthy to be the leader, but he also proves his own true quality.

I really like the story & how the layered of the story peeled itself when the drama progress. The chemistry between the lead, WS & ZY, SJ & Shang Guan Qian, and also the funny Gong Zi Shang (ZS) & Jin Fan. ZS herself maybe the most interesting character here,Ii really like her shameless yet bitter attitude.

Overall, this really good WuXia drama this year. Without such ending I'll gonna give this drama much higher score....

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Mysteries, puzzles, slow-burn romance, exhilarating action

It's a beautiful drama . The actors all have eye candy faces. Watching this drama feels more like watching a high budget hollywood fantasy movie (even though there aren't that many fantastical elements in this one).
This is one of the few Chinese dramas that I watched where some of the characters make impressive entry scenes at crucial moments to protect the ones they love.
This is also one of the few dramas where I see the way the main female lead shields the main male lead (from hair-breadth-danger )being presented in a glamorous, epic manner. All the shots are excellent because the director has got the timing right while taking shots of all crucial moments.
All the actors and actresses, especially the main male lead looks breathtakingly, ethereally elegant, mesmerising. In the very first shot of the main male lead itself, he looks so handsome that I was at a loss for words. The makeup artists and visual effects editing teams etc must have put in a lot of efforts to make everyone even the most ordinary -looking supporting character look remarkably special. ? In this drama, all main characters look like walking gods and goddesses. I had to check again to ensure that this is a wuxia, not a xianxia. ?
Now, coming back to the main topic, plot revolves around one big prominent sect , 'the Gongs' who calls the shots in everything concerning the martial world, and an equally powerful rival sect, 'the Wufeng' who mainly specialize in factory-production of spies. The spies are all trained and sent with missions to harm the powerful Gongs in one way or the other. The story begins that way...


I was just dissatisfied with three things:
1) the death of female lead's raven: this wasn't necessary. They should've made him live --- not killed that character.
I especially loved the dialogue, "You are the Yun Weishan in my heart! "
Omg that monologue is it's so deep!

2) the death of lady Wuji: really not necessary. They could at least written a more merciful death scene for her(if the director wants a death scene for her that much!)

3) the ending: everything in episode 24 was being perfectly wrapped up. They even showed how the villianous elder brother ended up.
They could've just wrapped up the ending nicely instead of producing a fresh mystery to solve.
Thankfully, Yun Weishan told Gong Ziyu that she has a twin before leaving... So that's some relief. Even if as some viewers say, if it's her twin who takes her place, he'll find out if something is amiss( considering the point that he's observant & smart).
Still, in my opinion, the whole story could've been wrapped up, sealed and ended in this season 1 itself.
Why kill viewers like me with anticipation?

But if I overlook the three points I specified above, everything about this drama is good & unique.
This drama really stands out as a good drama but with an extremely unsatisfactory ending.

There are also too many rules and clan obsession in the story which won't even allow the main lead to venture out --- travel in the outside world.
Too many rigid rules restrain the lead as well main supporting characters.

Would like to watch a season 2 or watch special episodes were the main leads as well as main supporting characters figure out solutions to bend the rigid rules, especially to evade the main problem that prevents the main male lead from travelling to the outside world.
Because it's really impractical if the main lead shuts himself in like that just because the other half of the blueprint in tattoed onto his back.
The progression of the plot including the ending is written out in such a way that it'll be hard for the main male lead as sword weilder to sustain the tradition of never venturing into the outside world forever.

Watched the trailers before watching this drama. From the trailer, understood that this is a wuxia story, so didn't expect much romance.
Still, it'd would have been nice if they could've given more depth for the love felt by both main female leads in the story... The second female lead (shangguan Qian) was really a disappointment in that aspect.
The biggest surprise could be as an audience member, you might feel resentful towards one of the second main male leads, Gong Shang Jue.
But that very character will turn out to be someone you admire the most in the end because he turns out to be almost as gentle and kind as the main male lead, Ziyu. Gong Shang Jue just happens to be a severe, strict character, but who in the end, is like a lighthouse for the some of the important characters in the story, especially the main male lead. He also turns out to unexpectedly have a gentle, kind side which he doesn't like revealing to the world.

And of course, when it comes to the main male lead, Gong Ziyu is the best among all characters in this drama(and this is biased opinion from my side).
He just knows how to handle everything well. He is so well balanced in personality, character.
I was just disappointed with the way he handled the execution news of his foster mom. His inaction there really knocked my breath away, but that aside, the male lead is perfect in every other aspect.

This drama could've have ended with a satisfactory happy ending. Bur at the last moment, the director had to throw the spanner in the works.
Hope there will be special episodes or a season 2 to wrap up the mysterious ending nicely.
By the time you finish watching this drama, you'll be left in suspense... "So, what happened in the end? "
Why does the male lead have that flabbergasted expression? ?

The osts of this drama are real good, especially one of the theme songs, "Bestow dreams". The duet version of that song is even more beautiful.
This is one of the few Chinese dramas where I like some of the osts sung by male singers because all of them sound good.
All in all, each episode of the drama is engaging, filled with mysteries to solve, and the last episode ending with a big suspense (Which is the only flaw of this drama in my pov) .

Regarding the romance and love aspects, the main male lead seem to be the only one fighting for love as a one man army, but by second last episode, the female lead seems to be warming up to the male lead with almost the same intensity...
This makes the ending even more dissatisfactory to watch because you could get concerned about the ending oc the main couple's love story...


When it comes to cinematography, this is one of the best dramas. This drama has beautiful, elegant, powerful action scenes. Watch out for all intense action scenes in episode 22! It's one of the best episodes of this drama with all the important characters coming together in one episode itself to participate in fierce battles.


What you'll love most about this drama is the huge amount of suspense, mysteries. Every episode leaves you wondering about something (and that includes the ending too). ?
By the time you reach the second last episode, you'll end up admiring the smartness of the main male lead and the big, brotherly heart of the second main male lead.

This is also one of the few Chinese dramas where you will enjoy watching the romance of a 'guard' character which is absolutely unique, comical at the same time romantic and full of tenderness.


To sum up, this drama can be summed up in four words: action, mystery, suspense, romance.
Even when the drama ends, viewers will be left with some half answered questions in their heads regarding the female lead's identity, how she acquired her skills etc.

Must give this drama a try if you don't mind watching an unfinished ending.
This drama definitely makes you think as you watch each episode...

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From thrills to lulls

Completing this 24-episode drama marked the longest duration I've ever spent on a series of its length. It took almost an entire week of my time to reach the final episode.

Right from the start, this drama kicked off with some thrilling moments that genuinely got me excited. I couldn't help but have high expectations because of how engaging it was initially. However, as the story unfolded, I caught myself yawning after a few episodes. Even resorting to playing the drama at 1.5x speed, I still found the need to skip through certain parts.

But well, let's delve into the pros and cons.
Pros :
― Wardrobe sorcery. The costume design team must have wielded some kind of sorcery because the outfits worn by the characters were incredibly stylish and visually stunning,
― Charming casts. The actors and actresses brought their characters to life with such charm that it's nearly impossible to pick a favorite.
― Enchanting sets. The settings, particularly those depicting the Gong Residence, were nothing short of breathtaking. Every detail in these locations was meticulously crafted. The attention to detail and the aesthetic appeal of the sets enhanced the immersion and realism of the storyline.
― Stunning fighting scenes. Nearly all the fighting scenes in the drama are a visual treat. The choreography and execution of these sequences are not just action-packed but also aesthetically pleasing.
― Comedic relief. Gong Zishang's presence on screen never failed to bring a smile to my face with her antics. I just wish there was more exploration of her character. While she was designated as the weapon expert, her character didn't receive enough depth or opportunity to shine beyond providing laughs.

Cons :
― Slow-paced. The narrative slows down significantly from the middle to the end, creating a somewhat draggy pace that tested my patience.
― Excessive close-ups. Initially, the close-up shots on faces added a cinematic touch, but their overuse became a distraction. As the saying goes, too much of anything is good for nothing.
― Makeup mishaps. Some male characters suffered from poorly done makeup, giving off an amateurish vibe. The colors used didn't complement their skin tones.
― Too many whispers and boring conversations. It felt unnecessarily drawn out and contributed to moments of boredom throughout the drama.
― Lackluster overall story. The narrative leaves much to be desired. Aside from assisting Gong Ziyu in becoming the Sword Wielder and eliminating elites from Wufeng, the plot lacks substantial development. Particularly, Yun Weishan's character deserved more attention and depth.
― The open ending. Generally, I don't mind open endings, but in this drama, I found it unnecessary. It left me pondering its purpose—was it an attempt at creating a cliffhanger or did it serve a narrative intention I missed? I don't know. Perhaps an open ending would make sense if the production team planned another season. However, rumors indicate otherwise. So, consequently, the open ending feels like a detriment to the story― it feels like it's just there to disrupt the narrative flow and test my patience.

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Worth it for amazing Didi Yuan Zhi and high production value, not for the central romance

The series resolves around the encounter of nobleman Gong Zi Yu and spy Yun Wei Shan who is in an infiltration mission within the very powerful Gong family. The central romance felt very boring to me: the growth of the main male lead was not believable and not paced well enough, the main female lead felt too emotioneless (almost like a blank canvas) for me to want to root for her. Fortunately the stories from several other characters (cunning Shangguan Qian, Dark Gege Gong Shang Jue and feisty Didi Gong Yuan Zhi) kept me interested.

The acting was pretty good overall with some really striking performances (namely the ones of Ryan Cheng, Lu Yu Xiao and Tian Jia Rui) compensating for more middle-of-the road / average performances. Zhang Ling He and Yu Shu Xin (aka Esther Yu) pairing did not work at all for me...I did not feel the chemistry between them, their acting felt very blank. They were not helped by the script but still, it was pretty plain and unconvincing. Ryan Cheng and Lu Yu Xiao had amazing chemistry together which made the main romance feal even weaker just by comparison.

Tian Jia Rui, the actor playing Didi Gong Yuan Zhi made the show for me. Each of his scenes was a delight to watch and truly impressive (especially knowing that this is his first acting job in a drama). He is credited as a support role but he had much more screen time than some of the main roles, which was the right directing choice because his performance shines through even in the background. He was from far my favorite part of the series and I will be looking forward his next drama (hopefully casted as main lead).

The filmmaking and production are really awesome. The accessories, the sets and decors, everything looks so pretty and rich...I liked it a lot. It is so so pretty, I took so many screenshots while watching the series to immortalize some of the scenes. The OST was nice as well, not too overly present but delicate and melodic.

I would recommend this to people looking for a martial arts historical drama with some fantasy elements, high production value and featuring an interesting family conflict mixed with internal politics. The central romance is not the best aspect of the show but there are some storylines around more "secondary" relationships that are really well done and keep the viewer invested. This series allowed me to discover newcomer Tian Jia Rui who amazed me with his strong screen presence in the role of Didi Gong Yuan Zhi. Just for him, I think it is a really worthwhile watch despite some flaws in the pacing and in the writing, as well as an ending that felt too rushed.

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'' There is no wall in this world that can stop the sun from rising. ''

After more than a month I could not finish few dramas that I started (which I had alot of interest in them at the beginning but all of that wane away when I reach middle 2/3rd of the story) , finally kudos to myself for being able to finish this one successfully. The fact that this drama only has 24 episodes does help I think.

My thoughts:

✅️ Cinematography & fighting scenes : 10/10. I loved the extravagant setting and how each scene were artfully filmed . Even if the story's bit lacking I was busy eye feasting with the beautifulness present in every scene.

✅️ OST: 10/10 . It was the best! While I usually enjoyed only one or two songs from a drama , I enjoyed all the songs here. Probably this become my favorite cdrama OST of the year. That song that has 'ge' in it was often played in Gong Shang Jue and Gong Yuan Zhi scenes really suited these two brothers relationship. Both since young have lost people dearest to them but later find solace and support in each other's arms. It does have a beautiful lyric.

✅️ Costume , hairstyles and visual : 10/10 . Everything is beautiful except I noticed one flaw that disturbed me for awhile while watching . They blurred hairline for all male here probably don't want us to notice how unnatural it look like lol .

☑️ Plot : 8/10 . Interesting beginning, a bit dragging in the middle but exciting ending. This drama surely have a lot of talking ,scheming scenes with non ending poetic languange in it script which definitely make you feel bored if you like more action in your drama. I remember being mildly bored and became instantly elated when a fighting scene is about to start lol. I think you need to be patience while watching all the talking scenes in order to understand the story better. About that ending scene. I am not even surprised anymore . Cdrama just love to have such an ending huh. Actually it was kinda expected because when we reach the last episode, Gong's mission to eliminate Wufeng still not achieve yet. Thus, 24 episodes is not enough to do it all. However I would not hold my breath waiting for season 2. Read somewhere that it is probably not going to happen.

✅️ Acting : 9/10. I think my most favorite character in this drama is Gong Zi Shang. I was never bored watching her dramatic antic. She was adorable to the max . While everything else in the story is dark and bleak she brings the sunshine into the story. I enjoyed all her scenes with Jin Fan. I'm happy she got her HEA. I think the main leads down to supporting characters did great in their given roles. While I did think that something is lacking in FL's character. I feel that her background story was not shown better . Other than her connection with Yun Que and Han Ya Si we know nothing else about her . Yes she talked about it with Gong Zi Yu but I prefer telling with showing rather than just telling only. Thus we inevitably feel detached with her character. Heck even Yun Que and Lady Wu Ji 's background stories was shown better than our FL. While everyone in the page comment section praises SFL for her performance here I have a different opinion . Something in the way she talks irritating me . It was the way she articulates each word looked and sounded greasy to me lol.

✅️ My Overall rating : 8.5/10

MJTY to me is like a beautifully wrapped -limited edition- candy with chocolate filling. You will feel good while eating it but after that it will leave you yearning for more .

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Worth it for Ryan Cheng's bombastic side-eye

Ryan Cheng stole this one. Except a few crumbs stolen by Lester Lin, Ryan Cheng staged a heist and legit burgled the whole dang show.
THINGS I LOVED:
1) Every scene with Ryan Cheng (or Lester Lin) was captivating.
2) The fight scenes were awesome.
3) Cinematography and set design
4) Costumes
5) Background of story and set up of story

THINGS I DIDN'T LOVE:
1) I love Esther Yu and Zhang Ling He, but the script was not great and many of the scenes were waaaaaaaay to slow. By all accounts, Esther Yu and Zhang Ling He had good chemistry, but weren't given the scenes or the dialogue to demonstrate it. Their interactions were boring after a while (because of the pace and script), which was a shame because you could tell (with their expressions and eye contact) that they gave it their all.
2) Someone said in the comments that every scene was overly dramatic. I co-sign this statement. The panning to everyone's face to see their facial expressions and reactions would've been fine if it had been used as a device for one or two scenes, but it was waaay over used.
3) Not only was it slow, but the show had a huge amount of repetition, showing the same scenes over and over.
4) Also, this was weird: the show did this thing where they'd show a character once and then kill them (someone I'd never seen before or hadn't seen much of) and then do a flashback with that character for 20 minutes where we were apparently supposed to get to know them via a summary of their past and then feel sad about their current death. This never worked. I just fast forwarded these flashbacks after the 4th time this happened.
5) The second to last episode was absolutely nothing but exposition wherein the bad guy spent 45minutes telling us how he did it. That's just lazy storytelling.

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AMAZING PLOT TWIST

There are so many plot twist that I can not say but were truly shocking imo. I love the chemistry between both couples, second couple was more subtle in expressing their feelings but I thought they were cute. Main couple's chemistry is EVERYTHING, the way Zi Yu protected Wei Shan no matter what was such a green flag even after he found out. Honestly, Zi Yu teaming up with Shang Jue was so clever. I don't know why they only revealed that they planned it all at the end, but I think that's what made the last two episodes a shocker. Im curious to see how the next season will be like because there's going to be a season 2 right?? There has to be.

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When I first heard about this show, I didn't really care about it and it didn't appeal to me at first. Then when the show actually started airing, my sister persuaded me to watch it and I did. Boy was I not prepared for what I had watched.

Every episode has so much detail and so much going on, we are given that the whole story revolves around 2 "families", Wufeng and the Gong residence. We are then introduced to our assassin Yun Weishan, whose goal is to complete a mission in the Gong residence. The show does a really good gob at characterizing each person's personality traits in the show. Every one of the Gong people are so unique and special in their own way especially Gong Yuanzhi, I loved his character.

Not to mention I was already stunned and impressed with everyone's acting and makeup, but then the show brings up the characters in the back hill and I completely lost it. These humans only get more handsome and prettier. I felt like I had a crush on everyone in the show. Not only was every character impressively gorgeous, their acting skills were even better. I'd never thought Yu Shuxin to be the type to play an assassin but apparently she pulled that role off super well. I was also mesmerized by the Xue Chongzi's acting, a 12 year old boy can act better then some adults in other dramas I've seen.

The OST is so depressing yet beautiful to listen to. I love how the show plays music when it portrays sad scenes, and it only makes me cry even harder. The costuming was also really good. I don't think the show invested a lot of money into costuming but you can clearly tell the costumes are designed very elegantly. The fighting scenes were also very impressive and has sparked the entire Jiang Hu dramas.

I really hope to see a season 2 of this drama, season 1 was way too short, and left with a cliff hanger. The best thing this drama does is every episode ends in a cliff hanger so it only makes you want to continue to watch the next episode. This show made me take such wild conclusions that I fee like I should be a detective sometimes!

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Visual Feast

I do love the director's works, and this My Journey To You seems to be more in line with the current aesthetic than the ones made a few years ago. Not only are the male characters very handsome, but the female characters are also pretty and bravr. The director Guo Xiaosheng is good at capturing the emotions between two people, whether it's love or affection, and it always gives me a deep feeling. Whether it's the main characters, or the minor characters, they all have their own stories and I felt the whole story line is rich. And some of the scenery in the show is so incredibly beautiful that it could even stand alone as a landscape movie. Really enjoy watching it

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An Intriguing Mix of Suspense & Romance

Set in a fantastical universe, My Journey to You reunites “Love Between Fairy & Devil” co-stars Yu Shu Xin & Zhang Ling He. This drama is a long overdue treat for those fans who secretly shipped Yu Shu Xin & Zhang Ling He’s characters in LBFAD and hoped to see them together in another drama. If you are one of those fans, then it is time to rejoice; because this show pretty much hinges on the natural & refreshing chemistry between Yu Shu Xin & Zhang Ling He. Directed by Guo Jing Ming who is well known for helming fantasy artworks like L.O.R.D 1, L.O.R.D 2 and The Yin-Yang Master: Dream of Eternity, the show has the distinctive Guo Jing Ming signature. It is a big budget project with a high production value; set in a cinematic universe, everything about this drama screams opulence. Jing Ming never spares any efforts when it comes to building a fantasy world that is rich, divergent and intriguing; My Journey to You follows through on the same premise. You can’t help but gasp or swoon at the lush green locales or the snow-clad mountains; the settings are mesmerizing and beautiful. The costumes are resplendent and understated. Starring alongside Yu Shu Xin & Zhang Ling He are Ryan Cheng, Lu Yu Xiao who have prominent roles as well.

Read the complete article here-

https://kcdramamusings.wordpress.com/2023/09/08/my-journey-to-you-first-impressions/#more-114

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