I'm confused why some people have been saying the ending is ambiguous?
I also don't understand why people reacted so badly to the ending. Yes, it was sad, but I really appreciated the way we had meaningful moments for each character and that the focus was on the characters rather than the political stuff.
It's also kind of ironic that people seem to want more episodes since they'd just be fast forwarding through them. It seems so few people actually watch whole episodes. Is that why people don't understand the plot all that well, because they didn't take the time to follow it?
I actually wish there was a way on this site for users to show exactly what percentage of any drama they watched in real time, and how much was at accelerated speed and probably missing nuances and plot points that came from other characters.
Hahaha I loved it! But also if they did it this way, I'd feel like it was a forced HE like it suddenly became…
The moment they revealed that Beipan tunnel at He county, that part of the story would unfold eventually.
Qian Zhao's speech about how the other LDT members died ironic deaths before lead to his own ironic death, saving the man he wanted to kill. But for the sake of a bigger picture and his love for his country and its people. Sun Lang's death was heroic when he was the main group with the least screen time and lines. Yet it was his support that lead to them winning that battle. Yuan Lu, the boy who was not allowed to run and be tired, ran to his death. He wanted to die as a hero doing something big. He got his wish. Shi San died saving and protecting the woman he loved despite all his misgivings at falling in love. NYZ died to make sure that LTG lived. He always considered him his step-disciple and also knew that a power vacuum would cause more harm than good. RRY died after her final mission because the future she wanted was no longer possible and she would rather die than have that. "In this world, there is only one RRY. In this world, there is only one NYZ."
I was hurt by their deaths. But I do not feel they were forced. The writing from the start led up to it.
A funny bits i got from watching another drama, was that the current trend of writers writing sad ending seems to be pandering for the global audience and I wonder if this works in chinese drama too. I understand that drama and tragedy usually go hand in hand in epic costume dramas. But like, how much of this, especially in this drama case, is caused by actual narrative purpose or by any other external purpose (editing, marketing, etc)? I think what makes lot of people disappointed with the ending, despite loving the drama itself, is that, it's a rare feat for a period idol drama to have such a winning ensemble of casts (a personal observation based on things i've watched this year). Everyone is smart and/or has excellent character development arc. But in spite of that, everyone dies. It just seems futile and hopeless, and like, we watch drama to be entertained, not to be trolled after believing and rooting for the characters. Also, the amount of people keep coming here after finishing the drama asking over and over again 'what's the meaning of the ending?' begs an additional explanation/FAQ page in the discussion section XD tagging this as a spoiler just to be safe
This drama had the best romance I've seen in a while. Nothing forced... Just pure flowing chemistry. I loved how Ruyi looked at Ning, it's a look many men really desire. She is amazing at expressing emotions... Almost flawless. You'd think she's actually in love with the guy. The brotherhood was amazing between the guys. This drama had all the good parts.... It was my best drama till the last parts, when they killed off all the important people. Seriously!! everyone?. I thought that maybe shi San would be spared but NO!, you just had to eliminate everyone we had come to love so much...Li tong was a disaster...he loves as if he's been drugged with some afrodisiac or something...... Overall it was great!
As I am getting closer and closer to the ending, the sudden realisation hit me how much I love this series. The characters are fabulously written, the fighting scenes are off the charts, and the romance between the main leads is so sweet. I am truly head over heels for this masterpiece. It may not be perfect, but definitely left a big impact on me
I guess we're just going to have to disagree because I felt the marketing was pretty spot on. 😅 Most of the marketing to me, including the trailers, felt like a tragic or at the very least, bittersweet ending was pretty much guaranteed. The marketing & trailers also screamed the adventure and political kind of wuxia. There wasn't that much overt romantic interaction in the marketing. (zero in the first trailer they dropped) If anything, the only thing I was surprised by, was that there was so much comedy in it.... because most of the marketing did not really hint at that until that very last trailer.
That being said, I still felt it was very much a romantic drama too. Just not in the way you were expecting obviously. haha. It has a sweeping romanticism in an old-school kind of way. As I said, their relationship is that of kindred spirits, which in itself, has a great degree of romanticism to it.
I found the fight scenes a lot of fun, but each to their own. I do think they could have been edited differently - with more wide shots instead of so many quick cuts.
I never really liked the title either (as usual, English titles are often lacking) but I do think the title A journey to love still fits. Love of country/the people, love from brotherhood, love of friendship, mentor/mentee relationships, family, soulmates, lovers - all of this is accurate to what the drama was about. The FL especially, started off very alone and she ended it in a place where she felt she belonged and was loved. They may have all died - but they died loved. At least that's how I saw it.
I liked the chemistry between the leads. As well as the chemistry between all of the different characters actually. One of the main things I really liked about this drama was the ensemble feeling, where the bonds between the supporting characters felt important too. It was a "Journey to Love", but I don't think it was about just romantic love. (This includes the leads - though the leads do have a romantic connection, I felt it was a kind of kindred understanding more than anything else) The leads dynamic wasn't "spicy" but that's okay, I like spicy as much as the next person, but this one just wasn't that kind of romance. I still found their bond very believable. I agree there was a period in the middle where the pacing was a bit off. But it was a small period for me. Mostly, I enjoyed it. It was funny in places, dark in others. I also liked the ending. It was what I was expecting going into it to be honest, (I was actually expecting sadder tbh, especially after the trailers were released) and I thought it was beautiful.
Got a recommendation that this drama was an older woman younger man romance drama so started to watch it and realized that romance was not the main concept of this drama. But i liked whatever time the ML and FL spend together. I completed this drama mainly because of the main leads relationship. It was a very mature relationship between the two. I want to see a new drama between the leads Liu Yu Ning and Liu Tao where romance is the main concept.
I hope that if they ever make another version of Chu Liuxiang, Alen Fang will have first dibs at the role. After his stint as Yu Shishan, I think he's a perfect fit.
I just found out that this drama received a lot of criticism in china and there is this one criticism about the…
LYN himself have long accepted that opinion. Whats make fans more frustrated is how they also call him animals.. like snake, rat, anything that label him as very low creature... plus slandering him using capital to change script and get more screentime.. and these ppl also scolding his fans for saying he's good looking, as if we're stupid and blind.
I also don't understand why people reacted so badly to the ending. Yes, it was sad, but I really appreciated the way we had meaningful moments for each character and that the focus was on the characters rather than the political stuff.
It's also kind of ironic that people seem to want more episodes since they'd just be fast forwarding through them. It seems so few people actually watch whole episodes. Is that why people don't understand the plot all that well, because they didn't take the time to follow it?
I actually wish there was a way on this site for users to show exactly what percentage of any drama they watched in real time, and how much was at accelerated speed and probably missing nuances and plot points that came from other characters.
Qian Zhao's speech about how the other LDT members died ironic deaths before lead to his own ironic death, saving the man he wanted to kill. But for the sake of a bigger picture and his love for his country and its people.
Sun Lang's death was heroic when he was the main group with the least screen time and lines. Yet it was his support that lead to them winning that battle.
Yuan Lu, the boy who was not allowed to run and be tired, ran to his death. He wanted to die as a hero doing something big. He got his wish.
Shi San died saving and protecting the woman he loved despite all his misgivings at falling in love.
NYZ died to make sure that LTG lived. He always considered him his step-disciple and also knew that a power vacuum would cause more harm than good.
RRY died after her final mission because the future she wanted was no longer possible and she would rather die than have that. "In this world, there is only one RRY. In this world, there is only one NYZ."
I was hurt by their deaths. But I do not feel they were forced. The writing from the start led up to it.
I think what makes lot of people disappointed with the ending, despite loving the drama itself, is that, it's a rare feat for a period idol drama to have such a winning ensemble of casts (a personal observation based on things i've watched this year). Everyone is smart and/or has excellent character development arc. But in spite of that, everyone dies. It just seems futile and hopeless, and like, we watch drama to be entertained, not to be trolled after believing and rooting for the characters.
Also, the amount of people keep coming here after finishing the drama asking over and over again 'what's the meaning of the ending?' begs an additional explanation/FAQ page in the discussion section XD
tagging this as a spoiler just to be safe
Edit: For a HE, stop halfway at ep 34 when NYZ found RY and listen to this youtube vid!
Video of the award acceptance speech:
https://weibo.com/2478261842/4985496806098834
That being said, I still felt it was very much a romantic drama too. Just not in the way you were expecting obviously. haha. It has a sweeping romanticism in an old-school kind of way. As I said, their relationship is that of kindred spirits, which in itself, has a great degree of romanticism to it.
I found the fight scenes a lot of fun, but each to their own. I do think they could have been edited differently - with more wide shots instead of so many quick cuts.
I never really liked the title either (as usual, English titles are often lacking) but I do think the title A journey to love still fits. Love of country/the people, love from brotherhood, love of friendship, mentor/mentee relationships, family, soulmates, lovers - all of this is accurate to what the drama was about. The FL especially, started off very alone and she ended it in a place where she felt she belonged and was loved. They may have all died - but they died loved. At least that's how I saw it.