Journey with You

China Continues To Dominate Historical BL, a Masterpiece With Romance, Betrayal, & Reincarnation

When it comes to BL + historical drama, once again China proves that no other country does it better. Our first historical BL drama premiere of 2026 absolutely did not disappoint. From the very first scene, the dark snowy night, breathtaking costumes, stunning cinematography, brutal martial arts fights, and emotional atmosphere, this drama pulls you in instantly and never lets go.

The opening episodes are heartbreaking. Watching princes destroy their own flesh and blood for the throne is cruel, tragic, and emotionally intense. Every political move feels dangerous, every conversation hides betrayal, and the palace tension keeps getting better with every episode.

But the real heart of this drama is Fifth Prince Yin Qi and Pei Yanzhi. Childhood best friends turned enemies turned lovers is already one of the best tropes ever, but this drama takes it to another level. The pain between them feels so real. What hurts the most is that they only realize how deeply they love each other when death is already standing in front of them. By the time they finally understand their feelings… it’s already too late.

And then fate gives them a second chance.

Imagine waking up three years in the past, discovering your mother is still alive, and realizing you still have one chance to save the person you love most. Sometimes you never truly understand how much someone means to you until they’re gone, whether it’s your mother, your soulmate, or the life you failed to protect. Heaven literally places fate back into Yin Qi’s hands and asks him: what will you change this time?

The reincarnation storyline is SO GOOD. It adds regret, longing, pain, and desperation to every single scene. Watching Prince Yin Qi try to rewrite destiny while uncovering hidden truths connected to Pei Yanzhi completely destroyed me emotionally. Their chemistry is incredible, every glance, every argument, every quiet emotional moment feels meaningful.

This drama truly has everything:
- One of the best NC scenes (watch end of ep 5)
- Stunning cinematography
-Beautiful OST/music
-Emotional storytelling
-Incredible martial arts scenes
-Palace politics and betrayal
-Reincarnation and second chance romance
-Childhood best friends to enemies to lovers
-Tragic love mixed with hope
-One of the best BL chemistries in historical drama

The visuals are gorgeous, the acting is powerful, and the romance hurts in the best possible way. This is not just another BL drama, it’s a full emotional experience.

They didn’t hold back with the kissing and intimate scenes, and the chemistry felt natural, passionate, and intense. I was not expecting that scene at the end of Episode 5 at all; it felt very erotic and emotional, especially for a historical drama from China. You could even hear the moaning, and everything was shot in such an intimate and beautiful way.

I also love the second couple, the crazy and evil Crown Prince and his servant. Their intimate scenes are wild and add a chaotic, exotic energy to the series

If you love historical BL with angst, reincarnation, political intrigue, forbidden love, and soulmates fighting against fate itself, this is a MUST WATCH.

Another Chinese BL masterpiece.

Read More

Did not get the attention as Double Helix and Sammy's Children Day

While we were in a slump with most thai BLs, China got us three good shows. Sadly for this show, it was overshadowed by Double Helix and Sammy's Children Day even when in parts it was much better than the other ones. First of course there is the historical settings, gorgeous costumes and a budget which got strained, so we only have two nice fighting scenes.

While the script was not as polished as it could be, the actors compensated for most of it. Especially the scheming crown price was a delight to watch. Of course it was a bit too gay. 🤣 We not also got a BL we also get a GL but in subdued undertones but very obvious. Combine this with great cinematography and you get a good show.

You get the scheming, the fighting, the fluffyness, tasteful nc-scenes and a bit of sillyness (6th princess). Of course, they could not go with a sad end, because it's a BL after all. You get everything you can wish for in a setting which is interesting with a story-arc which made sense and compared to most other chinese BLs a story without toxicit., Just a fairy tale where the good gals/guys win. For me it was very entertaining, everything is like a small river flowing evenly and then comes the thunderstorm and water is cascading down the hills and flooded everything in it's way. And after the flood comes the time to rebuilding, in this case the search for a cure for Yanzhi with an happy end. So, this is definitively worth a watch!

Read More

This is still quite good, but not really EPIC as I had hoped for

It started off WOW! This had all the ingredients to become a Spectacular show, which it didn't really achieve, but I would say it still is a great show. Also, do any of you get this feeling from the ending that there might be another season where A Qi goes looking for Pei Yanzhi in Japan and whole lot of other things? I somehow got that drift. I dont think the final scene depicted a cured Pei Yanzhi actually coming back to meet his A Qi....it was more like dream/metaphorical vision of their union.

BL-needle Score: 7. Moderate BL-ness

I was quite hooked after the first two episodes ..the conspiracy theories were so delish and so is the understated chemistry of the leads. The script was script-ing, the cinematography was splendid, and the performances were quite good. The production values was good too, and while it did not turn out to really epic, it still was a good show.

I was expecting more from a 8 episode drama than was warranted I guess. Also, The Untamed just set the bar waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay high for wuxia BLs and to accept anything less as top notch is going to be near to impossible for us!!

Verdict: Yes Watch

Read More

The Prince, The Prince and The Prince.

The tragedy that tried and delivered for the most part. It was entertaining, dramatic, slightly humorous and definitely a bl worth the money spent. Is it another Kill To Love, no, but closer than expected. The young actors made the best of what was before them. Both relatively new and they stole a piece of my heart. Their body movements are what caught me. No grand standing, posing or arrogance. Yan Zi easily believable as a grassland prince and Yin Qi, self willed and a prince now entering court. The stellar performance that overshadowed them though was Yin Zhou, the scheming jealous power hungry maligned half brother of Yin Qi. One could easily forget the kisses and nc of the ml when compared to his final scene.

The plot and pacing were okay for a short length bl and as Yan Zi waned, it became emotional. Always the voice of reason, he held Yin Qi face his responsibilities. Seeing his re-entry at the end would soften the most hardened critic. I breathed a whole lot better watching his melancholic eyes. They made a good pair.

There were parts needing a bit more polish but excusable. Again Yin Zhou's storyline and performances more than made up for the lack. I did enjoy the entirety and after viewing, hope to see them again.

Read More

Short, sweet, and definitely worth your time!

I thoroughly enjoyed this drama. The story was engaging and I was locked in from the first episode. I don't know what it is about CBLs that I enjoy so much more than bl from other countries. Between the great story and the romantic moments, this show deserves so much more attention. I seen that some of the actors are new to acting and this was their first role. Even with that said, they all did a great job in their portrayals.
There were a couple times the wigs were obvious but other than that, the costumes looked very nice. The fights scenes were well done and the NC scenes were shot beautifully. If this company, director, or cast work on more projects in the future, I will definitely tune in!

Read More

"When will you finally admit your feelings for me?"

There aren't many (censored) BLs set in ancient China, so I was curious to check this one out. At the same time, I told myself not to set my expectations too high. Does it reach the level of "The Untamed", "Word of Honor", or "Kill to Love"? No. But was it great? Definitely.

(I'm actually a little sad that, in my bubble, it received significantly less hype than Double Helix, which aired around the same time and is another drama I enjoyed.)

Starting with the OST: the opening was really enjoyable to watch and highlighted many special moments between Pei Yan Zhi and Yin Qi. It took me a little while to get into the series, but once I did, I was hooked.

The main couple was awesome. I was a huge fan of Pei Yan Zhi. His hairstyle and his grassland origins reminded me of the Göktürks in "The Long Ballad". Looking back, I can't remember many character traits of his that weren't somehow connected to Yin Qi, yet I still loved his unwavering determination to do everything for his childhood friend and later lover.

As for Yin Qi, he was an interesting love interest who could actually think for himself. Shortly after traveling back in time, he sought revenge; then came understanding, and eventually love. Their relationship felt passionate and convincing.

The second couple, Yin Zhou and Wei Zi Ming, took hot and rough romance to a whole new level. Aside from their intimate scenes, they didn't get much interaction with the rest of the cast, but since the drama only has 8 episodes, I was completely fine with the focus remaining on the main couple.

There was also an implied third couple: Yin Heshu and Lin Xianyue. They were cute, especially Yin Heshu as Yin Qi's sister. Since BL dramas don't always give us important female characters who are genuinely likable, I was pleasantly surprised by them. That said, I would have appreciated a little more development so I could stop calling them "implied."

The plot wasn't revolutionary by any means (though maybe I've just watched too many political C-dramas). Still, it served its purpose well. It provided a solid framework for character development, and ultimately worked because of the characters and actors rather than the story itself.

While the story itself isn't particularly groundbreaking, the strong cast, passionate relationships, enjoyable NC scenes, and soundtrack more than make up for it. The characters are what truly carry this short drama and make it worth watching.

Read More

A Chinese Historical BL worth checking out

Is “Journey with You” as good as its historical C-BL predecessor, “Kill to Love”? I think I like “Journey with You” just a little bit more. It’s still a small budget production but the plot is good. I could see a big budget production using the same plot, but giving it more time to expand certain storylines and execute better.

It’s unfortunate that this drama didn’t get a lot of hype, due to its airing schedule in competition with the likes of “Sammy’s Children Day” and “Double Helix”. Moreover, it’s only available on Gagaoolala and not other more popular platforms.

Acting:
Most of the actors are pretty new to the industry. The most experienced would be Colin Duan, who played the villain. And you know what, it shows his experience especially in his last scenes. That was quite an emotional and teary performance with snot coming out of his nose. LOL But the other newbies aren’t bad either, and better than I expected. There’s definitely room for improvement, and I wasn’t cringing. Wang Jing Han, playing one of the main leads Pei Yan Zhi, has a lot of potential. I quite enjoy his acting. Tang Bi De (5th Prince) and the rest of the supporting cast did fine.

Main Romance:
The main leads have great chemistry together. I believe in their brotherhood, their brewing (or already brewed) romance, and how they can’t deny their feelings for each other anymore. There are definitely some frustrating moments when Pei Yan Zhi was doing his noble idiocy act. But I forgive him, as I understood where he’s coming from. The biggest surprise is how bold they went in with the intimate scene and the kisses. That kiss sequence before their NC scene was perfect. Passionate and hungry, and showing all the pent up emotions. The occasional kisses here and there in the latter half of the drama are not fish kisses either.

Secondary Romance:
The secondary toxic romance was interesting. The flashbacks showed us enough of how they met and became close. The NC scenes were suggestive but not quite daring enough to go all out and show us more. I would think their special relationship NC scene should be as daring as the main leads, if not more. But for a short drama, I was happy that they were given just enough screen time.

Plot:
The political plot was not hard to follow though I think the writing for Yin Qi’s way to change the past could have been better. But I have to say, Pei Yan Zhi’s scheme is a little crazy and farfetched. MDL didn’t say this drama is an adaptation of anything, so I guess the original scriptwriter really went all out to create this unrealistic way to save Yin Qi. I think I enjoyed the first two-thirds of the drama, more than the last few episodes. As for the ending, I wish we could have gotten something a little more definite. Is that real, or a dream/imagination? I guess it’s up to the viewer to decide.


Overall, I had a good time watching “Journey with You”. It’s a rare Chinese historical BL, and I hope to see more in the future. We know having a big budget would be difficult, but I wish the creators continue to find ways to make high quality content, whether it’s newbies’ acting, fight scenes, makeup, costumes, sets, or the use of different camera angles.



Drama Completed: 6/20/2026 Review #697

Read More

Deserves all the recognition and praise

I have been watching dramas for over a decade and have always had a special spot for the BL genre. Some of my all-time favorite dramas have come from Chinese creators and writers. THIS is amazing. I had not heard of it, and I clicked on it when I saw it listed as a new drama on Gagoolala. It is amazing, and I am totally hooked. I definitely think it will be a part of my favorite dramas. Also, the actors are so sincere and absolutely stunning, plus the scenes and costumes are incredible. I am not the most eloquent writer, but I think the actors and the drama itself deserve all the recognition and praise!

Read More

Masterpiece of the past

I just finished watching this amazing masterpiece, and I am honestly at a loss for words. Never did I imagine that this series would move me as deeply as it did. From the very first episode until the end, it managed to capture my attention, stir my emotions, and leave a lasting impression that I know will stay with me for a long time.

As someone who has always felt a strong connection to the past, stories that explore history, memories, traditions, and the experiences of previous generations naturally captivate me. There is something incredibly powerful about seeing how the past continues to shape people, their choices, and their relationships. This series beautifully brought those elements to life in a way that felt authentic, emotional, and meaningful.

What impressed me most was how the story was able to balance its emotional depth with excellent storytelling. The characters felt real and relatable, each carrying their own struggles, dreams, and personal journeys. Their growth throughout the series was portrayed so well that I found myself becoming genuinely invested in their lives. The writing was thoughtful, the pacing was engaging, and every episode seemed to add another layer to an already rich and compelling narrative.

The cinematography, music, and overall production quality further elevated the experience. Every scene was crafted with care, creating moments that were both visually stunning and emotionally impactful. There were scenes that made me smile, scenes that made me reflect, and scenes that genuinely touched my heart.

It is rare for a series to leave such a profound impact on me, but this one certainly did. More than just entertainment, it felt like an experience that encouraged reflection and appreciation for the stories, memories, and connections that shape our lives. Without a doubt, this is a true masterpiece and one of the most memorable series I have ever watched.

Read More

Glad I embarked on this lovely journey with "Journey With You"

After years of only scrolling through comments and drama info on MDL, Journey With You turned out to be the one that held that power over me to create an account and make my review debut. Simply because I want to support the drama, which secured a special place in my heart, and everyone who put effort into bringing it to life.
In my subjective viewpoint, I would rate it a 11 out of 10. Not because it's entirely immaculate, but because it clicked with me on many layers. Though one should be a bit more down-to-earth for a review, right? 😊

For starters, let's be fair. Just as every other drama that has been and will be made, it has its own imperfections. Knowing that there's room for improvement in anything, I want to base my evaluations on two points for this drama:
1) Does it have potential? Or did it mess things up?
My answer is that Journey With You has a glittering potential. Relatively speaking, you can point out that some things can be better executed. But given the budget, the facilities, and the limited filming period, the plot delivered well and unfolded at a nice pace. They gave us a glimpse of the past so we can internalize the situations that escalated and the relationships that developed over time.
The almost-tangible love between the main couple (Yin Qi and Pei Yanzhi) has been the biggest highlight of the drama for me. The chemistry felt so genuine and unmatched. I can't even begin to describe how much it got me hooked on the screen.
So it made me say, "It is promising. It has the essential elements, and they did their best with what they had in their hands about polishing it"

2) Does it bring something more or better than the precedents?
My answer is YES. Historical Chinese BL is a genre that I'm quite into, and I honestly dislike making comparisons, but now it feels like a clear way to put it. The cinematography, especially in intimate scenes, seemed noticeably improved and suited to the general atmosphere.
To me, the plot presented more serious substance than we've seen before, such as time-travel, unexpectedly curiosity-arousing various side-stories, and a captivating romance that invited us to witness MUCH further -which are all to my personal liking. Very significantly, the dosage of each subject was just right. The romance stood out perfectly, neither disregarding the other aspects nor being overshadowed by them. We had bits of everything balanced out well.

Overall, I pretty much enjoyed and waited impatiently for every episode of Journey With You, and it straightforwardly went to my list of "To be rewatched many times." ❤️

Read More