Reviews

Saimdang, Really Boring Long Diary

The drama, on paper, had potential. A mix of historical and contemporary narratives sounded intriguing, but the execution fell flat. The pace was slower than a snail's crawl, and the plot dragged on without significant development. The portrayal of the female lead's life in the past often felt overshadowed by the mundane occurrences of the present, causing a lack of focus and direction in the storytelling. While attempting to blend history and modern storytelling, the transitions felt disjointed, leaving me disconnected from the characters and their journeys. The drama's portrayal of the protagonist's life and the historical context lacked depth and failed to evoke a genuine emotional connection. The overall quality felt subpar—amateurish directing and filming made it hard to believe people were doing their jobs professionally. It's like they were clueless and just pretending. Such a shame that a big budget ($18+ millions) ended up wasted on this drama. The poor broadcast ratings weren't surprising at all. They even chopped off two episodes, probably to cut their losses. It shouldn't have been longer than 12 episodes max. It's almost like Lee Young Ae went on a very long hiatus to the point, when she returned, she no longer had any negotiation power and her agency just picked up whatever project they managed to get.

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Cute drama that fill you with butterflies

I watch this bc of Tan Jian Ci. Become a fan of him after lost you forever and under the skin. I expected not much from this drama since it seemed a too light romance comedy. I was worry it will bored me.
But turned out i love this so much. It is based on novel and it is executed so damn well.
I know the main lead characters are out of the world, too perfect to be true, but hey just enjoyed it. We need to create the world with that positivity.
Tan jian ci nailed the character of Qiang Qing Ci aka Dr Mo very well. He is introverted, well manner, he know what he want and go for it, which i really love. He is so cute yet hot in here, absolutely one of the good kisser in cdrama.
Zhou ye is suprisingly good, can potrayed Sheng2 character , even better than the novel.
They have good chemistry. Their encounters always made me giggle bc it is that sweet and adorable, remind me of old times. Their kisses also very good. From cute then hot.
The other supporting roles are all great too. I love their friendship, so believable.
Some people found it slow but i don't think so. Bc i always enjoyed each eps and felt sad it is over now .
Watching this drama give me butterflies and happy feeling, a very healing and relaxing drama. Thx to the director and krus for doing a great job.
By this time, i already rewatch it 3 times. Gosh, this is my healing drama.

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Writing takes a nosedive after episode 6

Wow. Kim Sae Ron's DUI truly destroyed the momentum the show had built up and they did NOT stick the landing. What started off as simple, yet focused, story meandered into a laughable mess. Bringing in Siwon to serve a major role in the climax was a huge mistake. His presence earlier on the story did not warrant the role he played later on. And the other female character? The definition of deus ex machina. The production should have just bit the bullet and kept Kim Sae Ron for the last two episodes. Her role was just too significant to have been written out in that manner, and it didn't align with her character's values to fuck off to the Rome.

The cast and action sequences are really what made the drama stand out. The writing was, initially, much better than your usual K-Drama fare and didn't rely on any of the tired tropes we see in crime-thriller K-Dramas. It felt more cinematic in its nature. But the characters behaved so stupid, at times, that it just felt silly. Hyeon-ju, Gun-woo, and Woo-jin making bad decisions wasn't nearly as bad as seeing President Choi and his knifers make such obvious blunders. Those two knifers had death flags the minute they appeared on screen, but I wish their deaths hadn't been so stupid. You're a VETERAN in the business yet you're not covering your tracks when going against a HUGE gang? Dumb. The ending just emphasised everything that was wrong with the writing prior to the concluding episodes.

Should have been a BL btw. Gay subtext was crazy lol.

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It's about the journey, not the destination

This is a great drama but definitely not without its flaws. The drama revolves around two competing assassins and their teams of members, each with diverse backgrounds and skills, embarking on a life threatening journey. Several themes of love are shown in the drama: romantic love, obsessive love, bromance/comrade’s love, self-love and friendship love. Note, pretty much the whole drama is about the journey to save the Emperor.

The male lead is a notorious assassin and is tasked with saving the Emperor who is held hostage at the enemy’s state. His four close comrades tag along for the journey. The female lead is one of the best assassins from the enemy’s state and on her personal path of revenge that collides with the male lead’s mission. We also have a Princess who disguises as a Prince and a disciple who is obsessively in love with his master (the female lead).

The drama has an engaging start, very boring and draggy middle (ep 18-28 virtually nothing exciting happens) and a spectacular ending that was brilliantly executed. The last 10 episodes absolutely kept me at the edge of my seat.

Objectivately, the drama ticks all the boxes. It has the right balance of action, politics, comedy and romance, with strong-willed main leads. The characters are intelligent and the plot makes sense. However I always felt something was missing but I can’t quite put my finger on what.

POSITIVE:
- Female lead is the best female assassin and seductress that I’ve ever watched. Smart, cunning and beautiful.
- A true assassin’s drama. People die. I mean, lots of people die. Like lots…. trust me on that one.
- Strong male and female lead. They are both intelligent and badass.
- Healthy relationships and healthy romance between the leads portrayed.
- Many awesome bromance scenes.
- Fantastic fight scenes (some are even 10 minutes long and are visually stunning).
- Acting and visuals are top-notch.
- High budget drama (and it shows).
- Last 10 episodes kept me at the edge of my seat.
- Spectacular ending - one of the best executed endings I’ve ever seen.
- Alen Fang is brilliant. I started watching the drama for him and his performance delivered. He brought the best comedy vibes.
- Many umbrella walks that are visually feast for the eyes.

NEGATIVE:
- I absolutely hated the LTG character that had an obsessive, unrequited love plotline. His plotline was so unnecessary and embarrassing to watch. It took way, way, way too much screen time (literally around 10 episodes, repeating the same thing. Him crying like a little boy and obsessively trying to get with the female lead who repeatedly rejects him). The only way I managed to watch his scenes is because the actor is a total eye candy and his acting is top-notch. But I’m seriously so done with these plot lines and wish the government bans them forever.
- Extremely boring and draggy middle. Ep 18-28 (basically 10 episodes) nothing much happens.
- Female lead’s revenge story felt lacklustre.
- The love story didn’t grab me. I don’t know what it is but I just couldn’t connect with it (which is rare for me).

OVERALL:
You will like this drama if you want to see:
1. a badass, assassin female lead
2. a group of comrades on a journey together
3. a balanced mix of romance, politics and comedy
4. many brilliantly shot historical/war fight scenes

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It is enjoyable!

A lot of flaws in this series in pretty much everything (plot, cinematography, music, performances and so on) but still very enjoyable.

The concept is one to be stolen because it is actually good. I repeat that it is very enjoyable cause as for myself, it got me going until now and I wil prolly watch the last episode. But of course, all characters are a bit cliches and can (to me) be a reason enough to drop the series half way. I can also say that in a way it’s a bit long. Episodes are only 35 (idk exactly) minutes and a lot of scenes could be cut out to get a more intense or “normal” rythm and get straight to the point.

Then the list of flaws is long but not going to spend more time of it.

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A train that derailed but spilled some gems along the way

I am so conflicted writing this review. Overall I'd say the drama made a positive impression but felt unbalanced. So many things were done very well, but it often was at the expense of other important aspects.

The good:
- The message I got from this story was to find your own path to happiness and live with no regrets. I think the drama did a wonderful job conveying that. We all have the choice to shape our lives into what we want it to be. We just have to have the courage to take the reins.
- Character development and arcs of the female characters. Watching Yang Ying grow into her own shoes and take command of her life and watching Ru Yi find her own version of happiness outside the Empress's last words were probably the most satisfying and fleshed out parts of the story.
- A healthy relationship between the leads. This is peak romance. Find me a man like Ning Yuan Zhou.
- Music. It took a while to grow on me, but it was the lyrics that eventually made me cave in. Catch me singing "Half a Lifetime of Suffering" any time, any day.

The not so good:
- Everyone dies for no good reason. I'm not against people dying, but I have a bone to pick when it feels like the only reason they died was to serve as a plot device to make the story a tragedy. Most of their deaths felt so ridiculous and unnecessary. Maybe their sacrifice would've been more impactful if the pacing near the end was better, but a lot of it fell flat for me. Character deaths need to feel meaningful, significant, and impactful. Squeezing all their deaths into the last episodes undermined everything the story had built up to that point.
- Character development and arcs of Li Tong Guang and Qian Zhao. On one hand, I admire that these two mostly stayed exactly the same for most of the drama. On the other hand...... why??? There was so much potential here. Li Tong Guang could've grown out of his obsession for his master sooner (arguably if at all) and matured into a wonderful young man (and had a beautiful relationship with Yang Ying). Instead, he was this lost, stupid little lovesick puppy until the very end. Ugh. Also, Qian Zhao could've learned from his impulsiveness when he tried to kill Ru Yi and later not threaten Wu's king. It was hard to feel for his death when he tried to kill the king one minute and died protecting the king five minutes later. Like so many confusing signals here. I can kinda understand where the writers were going with him, but it wasn't presented well.
- The pacing. Things were generally fine in the beginning, but man did it go off the rails near the end. The first time they did a montage of the political events, I thought I'd accidentally clicked on a trailer for the next episode. It felt like a rushed info dump. And it happened at least three more times. I also feel like they could've spent more time with Yu Shi San/Chu Yue and Yang Ying/Li Tong Guang. Like I know we love the main leads, but the other couples need some attention too. It felt like the writers wanted the main couple's deaths to be as dramatic as possible, so they really beefed up their romantic scenes in both length and quantity. I never thought I'd complain about too many main couple romantic scenes, but here I am...
- That tacky map showing their travel route. Okay, I admit I'm nitpicking here, but tell me why they couldn't make a better map?? Even a cutesy one with bouncing horses pulling the carriage would've been better.

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You won't regret watching it!

I absolutely loved the show! It goes beyond being just an amazing drama; the portrayal of each mental health issue is incredibly authentic. The actors and actresses did an outstanding job conveying the real emotions someone might experience dealing with these problems. It not only educated me but also provided a fresh perspective on mental health issues. Coming from Iran, discussing mental health is quite a challenge - not exactly a topic you openly share with loved ones; you often find yourself navigating through it solo. This show was a game-changer for me, offering valuable insights into these issues, earning a solid 10/10 in my book. I highly recommend everyone to give it a watch!

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One of best kdramas

I really love how this drama choose mental health topic that is very needed and it's really a topic especially in sk. It gives you brief education about mental health, mental disorder, what they feel and the medical solution for it, and how the society treat them. I love Jung Da Eun's character who is ready to work hard after some mistakes she did. I got many lessons about life and some simple psychological support for myself when I feel down too! But I really recommend everyone who watch this is in a good mood, because this serial also has s e l f h a r m and s u i c i d e as a topic (we dont want people who's in bad condition to imitate it whatever). And the soft romance between the nurse and doctor is just so cuteee.
This drama can be an explanation for some misconceptions about some mental disorders (since people take them too easy, ignoring it or self diagnosed it). Big appreciation to all people who worked for this serial.

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New mystery concept of a school

Everything I see in the beginning just left lots of questions in my head, making me curious about what happened. The school is so mysterious, even those students were brought to it without knowing any clues about the direction. The weird curriculum also made me surprised. I love some personalities from the students (especially Pennhung he is so soft wth)
I see metaphor of bad treatments from parents to their children. All of the Home School students have their own scars that come from the same source ; family. And the mystery between the masters made the story more thrilling, and also the weird exams. And the ending??? Is there s2 for this? Because there are still a lot of things that left question marks.

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It was fine.

At first I had a hard time watching the whole first episodes, it seemed like pure comedy (I thought it was okay but I had other expectations) and the plot was just forming. A few episodes later the drama gets better, I admit it made me laugh and I binge watched the last 5 episodes. Anyway, I think it was very predictable, I immediately identified who the killer was but still wanted to know how and why he did it, also for me it was a bit rushed the way the main characters fell in love but I appreciate the effort.
I think the overall drama was fine, not the best but you can watch it to relax.

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A worldly affairs’ story called longing

一念关山
…A Journey to Love,
…A longing to Guan Shan,
…A longing to one’s hometown.

It records the story of an assassin who learned what she truly wanted to live for other than killing, revenge and missions (oh, and child bearing), after joining Wu State’s Delegation group’s mission to save their King.
It’s the story of Ren Xin becoming Ren Ruyi.
It’s also the story of Wu State’s Delegation’s voyage.

In the first couple of episodes, AJTL didn’t waste time to introduce the story’s context and how our main cast came together. We have Princess Yang
Ying as the royal envoy and Mulan of Wu State; Ning Yuan Zhou’s respected leadership and strategic thinking skills; Yu Shi San’s charm and comic relief moments; Yuan Lu’s intricate and fascinating inventions; Sun Lang’s near-impregnable and often-overlooked defense; Qian Zhao’s jack of all trades’ capability; and Ren Ruyi’s knowledge of An State political affairs.

Oh, what dream team.
Oh, how I love the pacing (early parts), the cinematography, the dynamics, and their sense of humour in these early days.

Shoutout to the screenwriters for the sincerity in giving us non-NPC supporting characters.
Shoutout to the cast for bringing their characters alive on screen, especially He Lan Dou, the actress who portrayed Princess YY.
Shoutout to the directors who captured them well.
Shoutout to the OSTs - Richie, Nicholas, Liu Yuning, Zhang Jie! I love the BGMs too.

If these aren’t enough to hook you in, wait till episode 8 when the first battle and crisis happened. Each and everyone had their moment to shine as they faced a highly disadvantaged battle. Even Minister Du who is the supporting cast and Princess Yang Ying who was a crybaby had logical and satisfying contribution to their hard earned victory.

While the story quality remained on a passable high bar thereafter, I somehow steadily lost part of my momentum and interest halfway way through - starting from around the time when NYZ and RY got together, and Li Tong Guang, Ren Xin’s delulu’s disciple, came into the picture.

First on NYZ and RY’s coupleship
For the record, they are one of the healthiest couple I admire, love, and wish to have. NYZ and RY had similar background, and thus intuitively understood each other. They had complementary strengths that made 1 plus 1 more than 2. There were lots of instances where RY helped NYZ do things he wanted to but couldn’t in his position. They had matured conversations when met with challenges.

Maybe it’s the CP vibe and on screen chemistry. Unfortunately something feels lacking for me and I can’t put a finger to it. Liu Yu Ning and Liu Shi Shi portrayal was fine. I just feel neutral most of the time watching their couple’s moments.

Surprisingly, I shipped Princess YY and YL more. And they only had 2 HTHT scenes.

Second on LTG’s arc
…and where my rambling start (sorry not sorry)
Here is another obsessive character’s arc that’s almost done right. Almost is the keyword here. I can accept that he needs time to undo a decade-long obsession. Truth is, I thought LTG is one of the better obsessive characters that had made me felt for him and truly looked forward to his eventual growth. After all, he got the multiple tough love moments from our dear RY and NYZ. I even rooted for LTG & YY pairing, slightly, after accepting YL’s death.

Him forcing Ruyi to marry him after all that canceled all the expectation I had for him. I am sorry I thought you were a diamond in the rough, LTG.

I suppose what AJTL represents to me personally is the journey of Delegation Group and Ruyi’s becoming. How Ruyi came to learn care and trust with them. How the group overcame the obstacles. How Princess YY grows under NYZ’s and RY’s tutelage - now this is a diamond in the rough. Their lovely dynamics and day to day interactions amidst this stressful, impossible mission.

So even though the other storylines were solid and interesting too - LTG’s rise up in An, Emperor Wu’s redemption, the cunning Emperor Wu, the underlying tone of feminism as well as the overlay symbolism of loyalty, war and peace - I found myself not connecting much to them. There’s simply too much to cover and it’s probably 1 storyline too many. It shows in the choppy pacing of the last 6-8 episodes. So something had to give. In my case, it’s my momentum.

I felt that AJTL should’ve ended after they’ve rescued Emperor Wu and the resolution of it. They could’ve made QZ successfully killed this emperor to make a message. They could’ve made getting the antitode for NYZ as the climax instead, if they decided to kill off the emperor without the Beipan’s interference. Or they could’ve just show us a happy ending with them having their Xiao Chuan and save the fight with Beipan for Season 2.

In other words, battling Beipan as the last arc here and now felt inappropriate. For each of them to die because of a battle with some random undying never ending barbaric felt upsetting even though I recognised the well written symbolism of their death as highlighted by another reviewer, songfalcon.

Even if I were accept Beipan as the final arc, I still felt it didn’t need 3-4 episodes to wrap this up. To see Prime Minister Zhang, Prince Danyang and Empress Wu handshaked in the name of peace. To see LTG needing someone to clean up his mess yet again. To see them keep battling this group that seem to spawn and not getting NYZ, RY and YSS in the final showdown. It felt unnecessary and draggy.

The official ending is up to interpretation and debate. I am on the camp that they all, including RY and NYZ died. It fits with the story of their journey. It fits with the feel of longing that Chu Yue had for Wu’s Delegation - and hence her “dreaming” of their reunion in the afterlife in the last scene.
…Or maybe CY died too since it was rightfully pointed that it’s odd for her to be the one who had “this reunion” and not YY.

Anyways, my rambling is probably 1 para too many. Since it’s an Open Ending, I suppose everyone can choose 1 that fits with the journey of our lovely Ruyi and Wu State Delegation you connect with the most.

Overall, AJTL is a great ride. It has been awhile since I come across a jianghu wuxia story that I enjoyed.

红尘有你 The world has you,
红尘也有我 The world also has me,
红尘还有梧国使团 Last but not the least, the world has Wu State Delegation.

~~~~~
P.S. This review’s headline is adapted lyrics from Jay Chou’s Song, Inn of Mortal World (Hong Chen Ke Zhan) - 红尘的故事叫牵挂

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Don't let the other reviews deceive you...

As I was finishing the last episode, I literally wanted to scream because I didn't wanted it to end...THIS WAS SOOOOOOOO AMAZING....If like me, you're also into heartwarming stories with slow burning romance , this drama is definitely for you...Romance is sooo subtle....The characters, all are written soo well, showing us their struggles and growth...
I saw people talking about the age gap...But the age gap in this was NOT awkward or cringie, rather our ML gently took care of our FL....
I wanted to watch this drama in 2020, but kept pushing it and now I regret not watching this fabulous drama before.... ㅠㅠㅠ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡


At the end, I'll just say that DONOT LET THE OTHER REVIEWS stop you from watching this drama, please....HAPPY WATCHING YALL...

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